Those Three Little Words
by OnHoldWiththeCall
Summary: Zero Kiryu has always been... emotionally unavailable, to put it mildly. However, when his secret lover falls pregnant, will he be able to step up to the plate and show he's able to love? Mpreg
1. Prologue: How It Began

**Title: **Those Three Little Words

**Pairing: **ZeroxIchiru

**Rating: **M for, um, this chapter and possibly some more lemon later. So, if you are at all squicked out by incest, yaoi, or male pregnancy, seriously DO NOT READ

**Warnings: **Actually, I have quite a few for this story. First off, this story is AU as of chapter 47, in such ways as Yuki and Kaname did not leave Cross Academy and Ichiru did not die (although I'm still in partial denial about that, anyway). Other things include mpreg, twincest, and some possibly quite political issues for which I would be very appreciative not to be flamed. In all seriousness, this is JUST a fanfic. There's nothing to get all riled up about, okay? Right? Good. Oh, and if you're wondering about the whole school year things, I've decided to go with the Japanese school schedule which starts in April and ends in March with breaks in between the end and beginning, summer, and winter. This was mainly done for story purposes. So, yeah.****

Disclaimer: I do not own _Vampire_ _Knight_.

**Prologue**

**How It Began**

Ah, spring. What a wonderful time of year.

The days were gradually lengthening. The air was beginning to warm. The cherry blossoms were starting to unfold, lightly scenting the April breeze with their intoxicating perfume. Everything was slowly awakening after a long, cold winter of death-like sleep. Pale green buds were forming once more on the previously barren trees, and animals were starting up their yearly mating rituals, seeking to replenish their population with fresh offspring. It was the time of year for new beginnings, for change. In fact, the most recent term at Cross Academy had only just begun a couple weeks ago.

It seemed love was in the air (along with other things such as pollen and other allergens) and the prestigious boarding school was no exception. Having been forced to remain separated from their beloved Night Class during the several weeks of break in between the school years, the Day Class seemed hell-bent on venting all of their pent-up adoration all at once during these first few weeks after returning to Cross Academy. This, of course, proved to be quite the hassle for the Disciplinary Committee, who, despite having gained a new member, found themselves more swamped with responsibilities as ever, leaving them all very little free time. This was especially frustrating since all three of the students who made up the Guardians had recently formed new relationships which none of them had had the time to which to attend.

This vexation was felt even more excruciatingly by the newest Guardian, whose lover saw fit to deny there was anything romantic going on between them, despite months of altercations that spoke to the contrary.

Ichiru Kiryu was only half-heartedly preforming rounds, a habit he had picked up from his predecessors on the so-called 'Disciplinary Committee.' No, he was truly more interested in locating his fellow Guardian than searching for idiot Day Class girls who were breaking curfew. God damn it! Where was the man when he needed him? It felt as if they hadn't spoken since the school year began...

Rounding a corner into the courtyard, the silver-haired adolescent scanned the area in hopes of discovering the person for whom he was looking. Sure enough, his lilac eyes alighted upon a lone figure leaning against one of the several trees. Ichiru smiled softly to himself, not allowing himself to appear overly eager to see his lover. Ah. So _there_ he was.

Knowing the objection of his affection was perfectly oblivious, Ichiru had no trouble sidling over, unnoticed, to the lounging form. For a moment, he simply watched as the other boy stared pensively at the star-strewn sky above. He sometimes wondered what the man thought about when he gazed off into space like this before he stopped himself. No, it was no use. His lover would never share his thoughts with anyone. Besides, with all the negativity brewing in that head of his... Sighing quietly to himself, Ichiru shook his head. Well, so much for being eventually noticed. He punched the man in the side.

Zero Kiryu spluttered as a sharp pain abruptly roused him from his thoughts. Clutching at his side, he rounded on the person who had attacked him and barked, "What the he-" before cutting himself off when he realised that it was his twin brother standing beside him, smirking self-righteously. "Damn it, Ichiru! You can't just sneak up on people like that! I could have seriously hurt you!"

"What? You mean with the Bloody Rose?" Ichiru retorted with a partially amused snort, crossing his arms. Shooting his elder brother a mocking grin, he continued, "I thought we'd already been over this, you wannabe hunter. Your gun can't hurt me."

_No, but I can._ Zero quickly shoved that dark thought out of his head, but he knew it would resurface soon enough. The fact he could so easily harm his precious little brother had been weighing heavily on his mind ever since the whole fiasco with Rido all those months ago. Ichiru had escaped with his life, but only barely. It had taken about six weeks in the hospital, approximately two of those had been spent on life support, and Lord knows how many blood transfusions before the younger Kiryu was himself again. The memory of his twin laying in that hospital bed, lifeless and frail, with machines being the only things keeping his heart beating still haunted Zero. It was his fault, all his fault... "Well, better a wannabe hunter than a wannabe vampire," he growled, trying desperately to distract him him from the guilt rising in his chest.

Ichiru narrowed his eyes in a venomous glare. "That's right; I'm suppose to be angry with you," he snapped, gritting his teeth.

"Angry with me? Why? What did I do?"

"Hm, let me see..." Ichiru stroked his chin in mock thought before snapping his attention back on his brother. "How about _ditching_ me and Yuki during the changeover. It was a mob out there tonight!"

Zero made an incredulous noise, folding his arms as well. "Yes, because you give a damn about Yuki," he pointed out gruffly.

Rolling his eyes, Ichiru admitted, "Okay, so I don't. However, I _do_ give a damn about myself. Don't think that just because I here now to help you guys out means you get to loaf around any time you want!"

With a soft chuckle, Zero allowed himself a small smile as he glanced over to his younger counterpart. "You know, sometimes you sound exactly like Yuki."

At this, Ichiru was insulted. His mouth agape, he stared wide-eyed at his twin although he could not believe his ears. Was Zero really comparing him to that idiot girl? Dear God, not even becoming a pureblood vampire had done anything to make her less pathetic. "I am nothing like that moron!" he insisted, his cheeks growing warm and his hands balling into fists at his side. "For one thing, _I_ have an IQ greater than that of the average dust mite, and two, I don't need _you_ to constantly save my ass!"

"Okay! Okay! I get it! It was just a joke, anyway." When Ichiru still appeared terribly upset, he sighed. He could just never win with his little brother. It was almost pointless to try. "Look, I'm sorry. You're right, you're nothing like Yuki."

His eyes flickering over the slightly depressed form of his elder brother, Ichiru regarded his other half warily for a moment before muttering, "Damn straight, I'm right." Then, with a smile that was bordering on edge between manipulative and seductive, the younger Kiryu sauntered over to his twin and wrapped his arms around his neck. "You upset me, Zero. Now, you have to apologise properly..." Closing the minimal amount of space that existed between him and his twin, Ichiru pressed his lips against Zero's. As soon as contact was made, he felt that sinful little zing of excitement that always thrummed through him whenever he and his secret lover showed public displays of affection, even if there was no one to watch.

Unfortunately for him, it was Zero that he was kissing. The elder Kiryu pulled away while simultaneously pushing Ichiru back. "No, 'Ru," he murmured, not looking at his little brother. "We can't do this. Not here."

Blinking once, a bit taken aback, Ichiru quickly regained his senses as he chucked, "Do what, Zero? Kiss? It's not like we've never done it before. And it's not like we haven't done worse..." He shot his brother a teasing smirk, to which Zero's response was a scowl. "Now, come on," the younger twin continued in a murmur, kissing his brother's cheek and moving down to place hot kisses along his jawline. "Don't be such a prude..."

"Ichiru, I'm serious," snapped Zero, his tone more assertive than before. "We can't do this here! We're out in the open, for God's sake! What if someone saw...?"

Taking a step back, Ichiru frowned, slightly confused. "Who would see us, Zero?" he asked, furrowing his brow slightly. "There's no one out here but us and..." He trailed off, his eyes widening as he recalled the third leg of the Disciplinary Committee. "Oh... oh." Angered by his twin's reluctance now that he understood its cause, the human brother shoved his other half, hard, against the tree trunk, knocking the wind out of him. "I get it now. You wouldn't want your _precious_ _Yuki_ to catch us, would you? Because if she knew you were sleeping with your own brother, you wouldn't stand a chance with her! Am I right?" When Zero didn't reply, Ichiru gritted his teeth, his temper flaring. "I _am_ right! Damn it, Zero! Why do have to be such a... such a _jerk_!"

"Wait, so _I'm_ a jerk?" Zero bit out, finally catching his breath as he glared at his tantrum-throwing younger brother. "Well, if that's true, then you're the most selfish little brat I've ever met!"

"Selfish?" Ichiru snapped incredulously, almost laughing through his ire. "You're calling _me_ selfish? Well then, what about you, Zero? You're the one who sleeps with his own twin in order to assuage some form of guilt that you constantly carry around with you — mmph!"

Zero, having moved much too quickly for the human eye to see, appeared in front of his distraught twin and clapped a hand roughly over his mouth, effectively silencing him. "Shut up, Ichiru!" he hissed as his brother struggled against his grip. "Do you want the entire school to find out about us? And you know that none of that is true." The particularly murderous glare Ichiru was now offering him told the elder Kiryu that his lover wasn't buying this. He sighed. "If I let go of you, do you promise not to scream?" Ichiru nodded and Zero was forced to release him, taking a step back.

Wiping his mouth, Ichiru gazed sternly at his twin for a moment before inquiring, "Let me ask you one question, Zero: if you _hadn't_ felt so guilty, would you have slept with me that first time? Would you have any other time after that? And don't lie to me! I hate it when you do that."

As expected, Zero hesitated before answering. He couldn't tell Ichiru the truth. A lie would be kinder. No, if not for the guilt he felt in causing his precious little brother so much, he would have probably never allowed his twin to seduce him. However, it had been what Ichiru wanted. It seemed that, somehow, his younger half had always been infatuated with him, a revelation that had frightened Zero a bit. Still, he had gone along with it, partially to ease his own guilt, but also because he had recently lost his first love to the filthy bloodsuckers. At least Ichiru was human. Blessedly, blessedly human... Even so, the longer this affair went on, the more the former human realised he was only hurting his brother, one of the few people who cared about him. This couldn't go on. "Ichiru..."

"I knew it," growled Ichiru under his breath, clenching his fists at his side. He tried desperately to not show how badly this realisation hurt him. He wouldn't allow his twin the pleasure. It was just... he loved Zero so much... "I should have known it all along. After all, what kind of person takes another's virginity and doesn't even has the decency to say that they love them, even if it is a lie?"

_A horrible, horrible person, that's who. _"Ichiru, I swear to you, it's not like that," Zero tried to defend himself, his voice sounding slightly pained. He despised himself for the hurt flickering in his twin's amethyst eyes, knowing that he had caused it.

"It's not, is it?" Ichiru demanded. "Then what is it like? Hm?"

Zero opened his mouth and closed it again. He repeated this action several more times, trying frantically to figure out what to say. Truth was there was nothing to say. At least, nothing that would make Ichiru feel any better about this entire confrontation. So, he decided to just avoid this whole thing. "What is this really about, 'Ru?" he asked, crossing his arms. "Why are you blowing this whole thing completely out of proportion?"

"I'm not blowing thi-" Ichiru faltered, however, at the stern look his brother now gave him. Trying desperately to fight the blush threatening to colour his face, he muttered, "You've been ignoring me ever since school started. I'm beginning to think you've lost interest in me. After all, this _is_ only a fling to you, isn't it?"

So, _that's_ what it was. "Oh, Ichiru..." Zero shook his head sadly. How badly he wished he could tell his younger brother that that wasn't the case. How badly he wished he could convince himself that it was. He couldn't, though. He just couldn't. Every time he reached that part in his mind, a mental roadblock was thrown up, preventing him from pondering any further on the subject. However, his mind had nothing against him _showing_ his brother he had it all wrong.

He took a step towards his young lover, who was still looking for all the world like he was about to do something drastic, whether it was ripping Zero to shreds or burning down the school, Zero grabbed Ichiru's wrist and pulled him closer.

"Zero, what are y-" Ichiru never got much further, however, as a pair of warm, soft lips enveloped his own, rendering all speech functions obsolete. This was odd. It wasn't like Zero to make the first move. It normally took some... _persuasion_ to get him to do anything that required intimacy. All the same, the younger Kiryu wasn't about to question this sudden boldness in his twin. He simply was going to enjoy the moment.

Wrapping his arms around his brother's neck, Ichiru eagerly returned Zero's kiss in earnest, pressing his lips against his lover's with bruising force. His heart rate pick up a fraction of a second when he felt his other half encircle his waist, pressing their bodies nearer together. He smirked into the kiss. Even if his older brother didn't want to admit it, Ichiru could certainly feel Zero was incredibly turned on by this whole encounter. Must be the love in the air...

Ichiru was not an patient man. Zero was taking way too damn long to progress. Instead of waiting for an invitation to further explore his lover's mouth, the young human shoved his tongue through his lover's lips, taking a moment to prick the tip of his tongue against his twin's vampire fangs, just enough to draw a few drops of blood. He knew Zero hated it when he did that, but he couldn't help it. He simply found it terribly sexy when his former human other let his vampire side loose, if only for a moment.

Zero, however, did not appreciate this attempt to arouse his bloodlust (along with... _other_ things he was certain didn't need any more arousing at this point). He drew away. "Ichiru, what the hell are you doing?" he growled, obviously angry but utterly unable to keep the heat out of his voice.

Pouting childishly, Ichiru replied, "Nothing..."

"Like hell that was nothing!" snapped Zero, panting ever so slightly. Fury was slowly seeping through his slightly hazy mind. Was Ichiru an idiot? He should have realised by now that he couldn't always control himself when his hunger took hold. Hell, he had almost _died_ because because that flaw in his system!

The younger Kiryu rolled his eyes. He knew what his brother was thinking, but at the moment, he was in no mood. There was only one thing he wanted at this point in time, and it had absolutely _nothing_ to do with his lover's many perceived issues. "Zero, _please_ don't ruin this," he whined, his body much too warm to care much about composure. "Come _on_! It's a beautiful night, and it's been a while..." He began placing hot, open-mouthed kisses along his twin's jawline, eventually moving on to his neck, willing to do just about anything at this point to make Zero forget this little indiscretion.

Sighing, Zero rubbed his younger counterpart's back absent-mindedly. Ichiru really wanted this. He was more than reluctant to oblige. Hadn't he just been thinking not five minutes ago that he needed to end this thing with his brother? It wasn't healthy for either of them. They were only hurting each other. Even so... it was quite obvious they both had rather urgent _demands_ that needed to be met. Surely, one last night together couldn't do any more harm. "Unnh... fine," he moaned resignedly, kissing Ichiru atop the head.

Ichiru tried very hard not to seem overly eager at this. Yes! Finally! _Now_ they were getting somewhere. Smirking triumphantly, he grabbed Zero by his cardinal neck tie (which he never fastened properly, something which bothered Ichiru to no end) and ensnared his lover's mouth in a deep, possessive kiss, leaving the elder Kiryu completely breathless and dumbfounded when the embrace was finally broken. This made it incredibly easy to lead him to the abandoned Moon Dormitory. Well, perhaps 'easy' was fudging it a little. It seemed the weeks of celibacy had affected the twins more than they had realised. Vests, jackets, and shirts were all undone, completely or incompletely, by the time they reached the old building.

Kicking the door open (mainly because his hands were currently too preoccupied to bother with locks) and stumbling blindly through the entryway, Zero leaned his lover against the wall and kissed him in earnest, eagerly exploring the warm, moist cavern of his twin's mouth while trying his hardest not to nick his delicate flesh with his fully aroused fangs. He was already hurting his little brother enough as it was. He didn't need to injure Ichiru any more than he already was. Ichiru was right. He was so god-damned _selfish_.

On the other hand, Ichiru was not at all concerned about his brother's vampiric nature. He had already stated that it turned him on. In fact, he was almost subconsciously trying to get himself bitten (or perhaps, not so subconsciously). Almost greedily, he devoured his lover's mouth, sucking needfully on his lips and running his tongue desperately along his teeth, paying special attention to his fangs. Zero, unfortunately, caught on to this and sought to distract his little brother from his quest.

Not able to contain a sharp gasp as his brother shoved his knee between his legs, rubbing his thigh maddeningly slowly against his more... _sensitive_ areas, Ichiru scrabbled for a moment against the wall behind him before remembering what was happening. He gripped the silver hair on the nape of his lover's neck, pressing them closer together as he sought to reclaim Zero's mouth. The friction his twin was causing was driving him mad... and here he had been thinking his pants couldn't get any tighter! "God, Zero..." he panted between kisses. "I want you so badly..."

"Shut up," Zero growled, although not as threatening as usual. He was just as wrapped up in the whole moment as Ichiru was. He just... didn't want to hear his lover's voice. He didn't want to be reminded of who he was about to take to bed. This was the last time. The last time... Pulling away from his brother in order to preserve at least a small fraction of his sanity, he grabbed his twin by the wrist and began dragging him along the dark, dank hallway, intent on finding the nearest bed and getting this over with before something happened that he regretted forever.

Face flushed and bones feeling as if they were roughly the consistency of jelly, Ichiru loyally followed his older brother. His mind was in a fog, a delightful, warm, passionate fog that he almost wished would never go away. Oh, God! Why did Zero need a bed? Why couldn't they just do it here, in the hallway? He certainly wouldn't mind. Really, he was prepared to do _anything_ that would alleviate the aching in his pants... and in his heart.

Upon at last finding a room that wasn't completely repugnant or utterly destroyed (much cleaning up still need to be done after he had pretty much trashed the place during the battle with Rido), Zero roughly shoved Ichiru threw the room's doorway, earning himself a smirk from his younger half.

"Oh, Zero, what a _man_ you are," the younger Kiryu purred, almost mockingly, his chest heaving slightly as his lilac eyes were all bur utterly consumed with black. "All ready to prove to me how _strong_ and _virile_ you are, hm?"

Moving with vampire speed, as he had earlier this evening, Zero pushed Ichiru forcefully back onto the dusty queen-sized bed before crawling on top of him himself, pinning his twin's wrists to the mattress. "I thought I told you to shut up," he muttered, his heated voice losing some of its gruff edge. Using his own tongue as a gag, the elder Kiryu removed his hands from Ichiru's wrists and promptly began removing his clothing. First to go: his jacket.

Ichiru was grateful to have his hands free. It meant he was allowed to participate this time. There were times, the ones that he hated the most, when Zero simply wanted to satisfy the physical needs. While that was all well and good, it did make the younger of the twins feel a bit lonely. He didn't want to be only a booty call for his older brother. He desired a deeper connection than that.

Kissing his lover as though it was the last time he would ever be able to hold him like this, Ichiru made quick work of Zero's sloppy tie work and tossed the red garment to the side before turning his attention to his brother's vest and jacket (Zero had already taken the liberty of relieving him of his). The elder Kiryu was already systematically popping open the pearly buttons of Ichiru's white shirt, placing a heated kiss on each new search of pale, porcelain skin he revealed. He moved his mouth lower and lower until he reached the top of his lover's pants, gripping his younger half's hips as he moaned and arched his back, gripping his silver bangs as hot molten desire flooded his stomach, travelling lower to pool below his belt. God, Zero was so close...

Belt buckles were the most frustrating instruments in the entire world. This was the discovery Zero made as he attempted to loosen his brother's belt so that he may remove his pants. He struggled with the damned contraption for the better part of a minute, his fingers not as deft as they normally were in the haze of vexation and arousal. Damn it. He hated himself for this. He shouldn't _want_ Ichiru this way. It was wrong. This was his _little_ _brother_. He was taking advantage of his precious, fragile _little_ _brother_. God damn it. How could he do this...?

The buckle on Ichiru's belt finally gave way, efficaciously wiping all the self-loathing thoughts from Zero's mind as he was now able to slide his lover's black slacks down his slender hips, along with his underwear. Ichiru gasped as his hot body was exposed to the cool air, clutching the musty bedsheets above his head. When his brother's cool hand enclosed him soon afterwards, he could hardly keep still. "Ah... ah! Z-Zero..."

"Stop talking," the elder of the pair growled, fisting his brother so tightly the younger practically had to shove his fist in his mouth to keep from screaming. Bowing his head, Zero pressed his lips to his lover's flat stomach, enjoying the shiver running through Ichiru's body. He began trailing kisses up his twin's belly, pumping him continuously as he did so.

Ichiru moaned deeply as his brother played with him, wringing the blankets in his hands as he drew his legs up and curled his toes, pleasure racking his entire body. "Ah... haaa... You're getting... much better... at this whole... foreplay thing, Zero," he gasped, chuckling breathlessly as his lover reached his chest, placing a warm, bruising kiss on his sternum.

"God, 'Ru," Zero snapped, although his voice had almost no bite to it. "Has anyone... ever told you... that you talk way too fucking much?" He made to nibble on his brother's collarbone, moving his hand along his twin's member in slow, tantalising strokes, taking pleasure in each little twitch, every hitch of Ichiru's breath, every deep-throated moan his lover emitted. Then, his mouth made it to Ichiru's neck. This was dangerous territory. Realising this, the former human released Ichiru and gripped his hips, positioning himself more fully between his lover's legs. He began to rock his hips, slowly at first, but soon picking up pace, increasing the delicious friction between his other half's naked body and his own clothed one.

Letting out a throaty groan, Ichiru wrapped his legs around Zero and entwined his fingers in his silver hair, kissing the side of his face over and over again. "Do it, Zero..." he pleaded, almost desperately. "Just do it, big brother. I know you want to... Go on, take what you need. You know I don't mind..."

No, that much was definitely true. If there was only one thing the elder Kiryu had learned in the last few months he had been with his brother, it was that Ichiru in no way minded being bitten. Despite the rather traumatic experience of his first bite (almost tantamount to his own, if Zero said so himself), the younger Kiryu seemed to find the act of being bitten incredibly arousing. He often trying to entice his vampire twin to bite him, something which annoyed Zero to no end. Still, he couldn't deny, try hard as he might, that he found Ichiru's blood unbelievably intoxicating. He craved it. He craved it more than anything in the world, along his brother's body, his company... and here it all was. All of Ichiru, laying right beneath him, his for the taking. His blood, young and fresh, was pulsing so strongly through his veins, right beneath his mouth...

"Zero... please..." Ichiru practically sobbed, wrapping himself tighter around his lover. "Bite me... Drink my blood... Make me a part of you... I want to be one with Zero..." His warm breath rushed past Zero's ear, sweet and enticing. Zero could hardly resist the call...

Ichiru gasped as his brother's fangs blessedly sank into his neck. The sensation nearly tipped him over the edge, but only just. White hot stars blinked in front of his eyes as Zero took deep, greedy draughts of his blood, grinding against him almost feverishly. Sure, the experience was painful, as anyone would imagine having a pair of oversized canines being plunged into one's neck would be, but the bliss that followed was more than enough to override any discomfort. It was very similar to sex in a way. There was pain in the beginning, but then there was ecstasy. Complete and utter ecstasy that far outweighed anything else. That was what made everything totally worth it.

However, the time came when enough was enough.

His head was spinning. The little white stars dotting his vision weren't so warm any more. Damn it. Zero was taking too much. "Nnh, Zero," he murmured, his words a touch slurred. "Zero, that's enough... Zero, no more... Big brother... Stop it! Stop it, Zero! Stop it right now!" Gripping his twin's shoulders, the younger Kiryu tried to force his partner off of him, barely managing to do so before Zero drank so much he fell unconscious.

Only when Ichiru had forcibly pushed him off of him did Zero realise what he had been doing. Sitting back on his feet, the hunter stared down, aghast, at the scene. His little brother, his frail little brother whom he cared for more than anything else, whom he was supposed to protect, was laying sprawled before him, blood oozing out of twin puncture wounds on his neck, staining the sheets beneath him. His eyes were glassy and his breathing was shallow as he gazed up at his elder brother, his face still flushed. This was all his fault. If he had gone any longer, he might very well have killed Ichiru. If he had done that, he wouldn't have been able to live with himself. This had to stop. Right here, right now.

"Oh, _Ichiru_," he whispered, his lavender eyes wide in horror. "I'm so sorry... I'm so very sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have – we should stop this. I should go." He made to get off the bed, to gather up his discarded items of clothing and to run like hell as far away from this place as he possibly could, but Ichiru stopped him.

"No! Wait!" he cried, the pain of losing his beloved's warmth suddenly more than he could bear as he sat up quickly and knotted his fingers in Zero's shirt. As soon as he did so, he very nearly passed out, his head swimming as he collapsed into his brother.

"Ichiru!" Zero gasped as Ichiru's weight fell onto him, practically kneeling in his lap. Wrapping his arms around his twin's shoulders, he asked panic-stricken, "Ichiru! Are you all right? Did I take too much?"

Taking a moment or two and few deep breaths in order to recuperate a bit, Ichiru pushed himself away from Zero and settled himself more fully on on his brother's lap. "No, no, I'm fine. See?" He offered his other half a reassuring smile, stroking his face tenderly. Then, his face fell. "Please don't go," he whispered sadly, a morose light flickering in the depths of his gaze. "Please, please, please don't go."

Zero shook his head. "I have to, 'Ru," he told his twin quietly. "We shouldn't be doing this. We're just... we're just hurting each other, doing this. God, I can't even believe you still want to after what I just _did_ to you!"

Also shaking his head, Ichiru began tucking strands of hair behind his lover's ear as he murmured, "I don't _care_ about any of that, Zero. You're just... you're just _you_. I know you can't help it. We just have to be more careful next time, that's all! Besides," he bowed his head, pressing a tender kiss on his other's lips, "I love you. God, Zero, I love you! I love you so much it hurts sometimes! And I know, that some day," he kissed Zero again, a little more deeply this time and letting it linger, "you'll be able to say the same thing back to me. So just please. Let's do this. For me?"

While he could hardly resist the pleading look in his younger brother's eyes, Zero also knew he couldn't do this any more. He couldn't hurt Ichiru, who loved him so much, any longer. There would be no 'next time,' as his twin presumptuously suggested. "Come on, 'Ru," he tried to reason with his twin. "After I drained you like that? You must be exhausted... Let's call it a night and try again later." _Or_ _never_.

Ichiru, however, was not going to give up that easily. "Oh, come on, Zero!" he groaned in frustration. "If you give me some of your blood, I'll be fine! And besides," he pushed himself suggestively into the quite evident bulge in his brother's pants, "you still ready to go."

Flushing furiously, Zero grumbled, "I can take care of that myself later."

Obviously displeased with this answer, Ichiru replied with a frown, "You promised me, Zero. You promised me that we would do this. So, I'm begging you, Zero..." He kissed his mirror image again, this time trailing a path to his ear. One gentle kiss on his lobe, and Ichiru whispered, "Take me. Make me yours."

Zero's breath hitched in his chest. Such an offer... he didn't know why (which was a lie; he knew perfectly well _why_), but he found just couldn't refuse. Ichiru was pulling his face away from his and their eyes locked. Just like that, they were lost. The world around the sinful lovers vanished. Within an instant, they were joined at the lips, initiating a passionate clash of lips, teeth and tongue that was half battle, half dance, during which Zero somehow lost his shirt. The spark that had momentarily vanished returned in a flash. It wasn't long before Zero was laying Ichiru back down on the mattress, completely engrossed in the wonderful being that was his little brother. Removing his lips from his twin's for a second, he turned his attention to the still sluggishly bleeding wound on the younger's neck. It would stop bleeding soon, but for now, he intended to clean it up the best he could. He ran his tongue ravishingly over the bite marks, savouring every drop of his lover's lifeblood. It was so sweet, so decadent... A weak moan broke his concentration.

"Zero..." Ichiru rasped. "Zero, slow down... My head... I'm getting dizzy..."

Oh, shit. That was right. Ichiru must still be a bit anaemic from the blood loss. Pulling away from his current preoccupation, Zero bit his own wrist and filled his mouth with blood. Lowering his head, he motioned for his lover to open his mouth and, once that was done, deposit the blood inside. He did this several more times, making sure Ichiru received enough to regain some strength. Once he was finished, the young hunter gazed down at his twin and panted, "Are you all right? Do you feel better?"

Nodding enthusiastically, Ichiru answered breathily, "Yeah... yeah. Yeah, I am. Great, even! You know I just love it when you're inside of me..." Smirking heatedly, he rubbed suggestively against his lover.

Rolling his eyes at the blatant innuendo, Zero initiated another kiss and murmured, "Well, I better get right on that then..."

Still with that aroused smirk on his lips, Ichiru purred, "Yeah, you better..." His amethyst eyes travelling down his brother's prone form, he added, "We better start with your pants. What the hell are you still doing with them on?"

"I suggest you do something about that," Zero replied, kissing Ichiru gently on his forehead.

"I intend to." Pushing himself into a sitting position, Ichiru immediately began work on loosening his lover's belt, a task which was made much more difficult than it should have been as Zero seemed intent on distracting him: blowing in his ear, nibbling on his neck, placing hot kisses along his jaw... Finally, with a soft laugh and a wide smile, the young human said breathily, "Zero! Stop it! I'm trying to get this damned belt off..." That was when the buckle finally gave way, opening the door for Ichiru to remove his twin's troublesome trousers along with his underwear. The teen smirked delightedly at the treasures he revealed. "Well, looks like _someone's_ all ready to go," he murmured as he grabbed his lover's arousal firmly, causing Zero to grunt loudly through gritted teeth as the younger Kiryu kissed him hungrily on the neck, sucking on the sensitive flesh in the area of his brother's tattoo.

"Oh, I'm more than ready," Zero muttered warmly into his brother's bare shoulder, kissing it tenderly before resting his head against it as he groaned heartily, his twin still fondling him in that maddening way of his. For a moment, the elder Kiryu considered biting Ichiru again as punishment before his hazy mind recalled that his lover actually enjoyed that. Well, if the usual forms of punishment wouldn't work, there was always other ways of torturing his partner.

Seizing Ichiru's hand roughly away from him, Zero pushed his brother roughly back on the mattress and grabbed his twin's other wrist, bringing them both above his head and holding them together. After a few quickly muttered words, he released Ichiru's wrists and watched for a few moments as the younger adolescent struggled to separate them. A wicked sense of pleasure rise in the elder Kiryu's chest. Ah, so this was how Ichiru felt every time he knew he had him trapped.

Ichiru, however, was less than pleased with his current situation. "Bastard!" he barked, still attempting to pull apart his wrists. "What the hell did you do?"

Zero shrugged. "Simple binding charm," he admitted. Then, a smirk came into play on his lips. "Normally, we use it to bind vampires, to make them easier to deal with, but I'm glad to see it works just as well on you." Chuckling at the shocked expression on his brother's face, the young hunter bent down and claimed Ichiru's mouth with his own, sucking his other's tongue into his mouth. It was no wonder Ichiru was shocked; bondage was more his bag, not Zero's. The elder Kiryu normally just went along with whatever his twin wanted to do. When Zero at last resurfaced for air, he gasped, "Don't worry; I'll let you go soon enough."

Pouting slightly, Ichiru whined and squirmed in discomfort. He didn't like not being able to use his hands. It was a clear sign that Zero did not want him to participate. This tore through the younger twin's heart. He didn't want to be just a way to get off for his brother. He wanted to take equal part in their love-making. The desire to create a bond with his other half was strong within him. He couldn't do that if Zero just planned to screw his brains out, satisfying only the physical needs but not the emotional.

Paying no mind to his twin's dissatisfaction with this new arrangement, Zero began moving his lips down Ichiru's body, starting with nibbling tantalizingly on his neck before travelling lower... and lower... and lower until his mouth reached the tip of his brother's weeping member. A grin grew on his lips as Ichiru's whimpers reached his pierced ears. He slipped his mouth completely over the end of his lover's arousal, sucking hard. Next to his head, Ichiru's long pale legs kicked wildly as the boy himself whimpered and moaned loudly. Zero only drew harder.

"Z-Zero!" cried Ichiru, his toes curling and his face warming immensely. "Oh God... o-oh God... nnnh!"

With one last good suck, Zero released his partner, the younger Kiryu collapsing back on the bed and panting heavily. Crawling back over his brother, the elder twin resumed kissing his other's neck. "You like that, don't you?" he murmured, to which Ichiru nodded fervently. "Do you want more?" Again, an enthusiastic nod. "Well, too bad. I think it's time to move on to something else..." Pulling away from his twin, Zero knelt between his lover's legs and, shifting slightly, ran a hand along the milky smooth skin of Ichiru's thigh, sliding it down to cup his firm buttock. He then moved to tentatively finger the puckered skin around his lover's entrance. "Hey, 'Ru?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you happen to have any... you know?" Zero flushed.

Ichiru blinked, at first confused, but then catching his brother's meaning. "Oh... oh, yeah," he breathed. "There's some in my pants pocket."

"Seriously?" Zero asked, somewhat incredulous. Then, he became a bit suspicious. "You weren't..."

"Anticipating tonight?" Ichiru finished for him. Writhing slightly in impatience, he grumbled, "No, not really. I was sort of just hoping that, you know, we'd _eventually_ end up in this position." He flashed Zero a mischievous smile before wriggling a bit more. "Now, would you hurry up and fuck me?"

Returning his lover's smirk for once, Zero placed a kiss on Ichiru's lips and forehead before dashing off to rifle through his brother's pockets. After several frustrating seconds, he discovered exactly for what he was searching: a small tube. He grinned triumphantly and returned to his partner, kissing him passionately in celebration before moving to kneel between Ichiru's legs and squirt some of the clear gel from the tube onto his fingers. An impatient moan and wiggle directed his attention back to Ichiru, whose eyes were fixed on his twin's gel-coated fingers. With a quiet chuckle, Zero murmured, "Don't worry; I'm getting to you." Once again positioning himself between his partner's leg, the elder Kiryu dropped his mouth to Ichiru's chest, pressing his lips slowly and tenderly against his flushed skin as he once again began exploring the younger teen's entrance. He gently pushed a single slender digit into his brother.

Ichiru gasped before the noise dissolved into a moan. As Zero slowly moved that single finger inside his heat, impatience nearly overtook the younger of the brothers, who bit his lip in order to silence any complaint he might have. He knew he was lucky to have tonight. His elder brother was always so reluctant to accept their relationship, to admit they _needed_ each other. He should be wanting tonight to last as long as possible. However, he was throbbing so _hard_ and all he wanted was some release. Unable to contain his restlessness any longer, he began to squirm, silently urging his lover to hurry up.

As though he had been reading his twin's thoughts, Zero inserted another finger, thrusting them deep inside Ichiru and scissoring them apart. At the same time, he dipped his tongue into the hollow space at the base of his brother's neck, savouring the salty taste of his other's flesh.

Emitting a throaty groan, Ichiru arched against the mattress and gripped his lover's hair, effectively changing that position of his brother's fingers inside of him. "God, Zero!" he moaned in exasperation. "Why do you have to be so fucking _slow_? Just _fuck_ me already! We haven't got all night!"

"Would you just shut up?" growled Zero, adding yet another finger to the pair he already had inside his lover. "My God, you are the whiniest, most impatient person I've ever slept with!" He resumed the stretching and lubricating Ichiru's warmth, preparing his body fully for penetration.

This last statement sent up a major red flag in Ichiru's mind. Struggling to sit upright (Zero still had his wrists bound with that ridiculous charm), once again changing the placement of the digits Zero had inside him, causing him to moan aloud, he regained enough control of himself to glare murderously at his brother. "I better be the only one you're sleeping with, Zero Kiryu," he growled darkly. "Because if I'm not, there's going to be _hell_ to pay."

Rolling his eyes, Zero removed his fingers from within Ichiru and moved to kiss him deeply, drinking his lover in like a man in the desert dying of thirst. As intended, the kiss rendered the younger Kiryu speechless. "You are also the most _possessively_ _jealous_ person I have ever met, Ichiru Kiryu," he pointed out, bowing for another immersive kiss as he took hold of his twin's thighs and pushed them up. Releasing his hold on his brother's mouth, Zero pulled away and repositioned himself, preparing to make his lover his. If his mind weren't so damn hazy at the moment, he would have berated himself for how... _vampire_-_like_ he sounded when he thought like that. That was not what was occupying his mind at the moment was how badly he wanted to be inside of Ichiru. It just so happened that this was what released the charm binding Ichiru.

Pain ripped through Ichiru at the first penetration, pain that quickly dissolve into the pleasure at knowing his beloved was finally inside of him. "Ah...!" he cried out, arching his back and knotting his fingers in the bedsheets, his hands free at last. Finally! This was what he had been waiting for all night! This feeling, this sensation of being one with Zero. It simply felt so right, more right than anything else in the world...

Another thrust sent Ichiru's mind reeling. Just when he thought he couldn't get any warmer, it seemed like his temperature spiked another two degrees. Zero moved slowly at first, carefully repositioning himself and only allowing himself to enter a little bit at a time, but Ichiru soon grew tired of this maddeningly slow pace and sought to take back some of the control for himself. He began to meet every one of his lover's thrust with a jerk of his hips, plunging his brother further into than he had anticipated. After a few times of this, the elder Kiryu finally got the hint. He picked up the pace.

"Nnnh... ah... ha... haa...!" Ichiru panted, snaking his arms around his brother's neck and holding him as close as possibly, kissing the side of Zero's face almost desperately. "Unnh... God... O-oh God! Zero, I love you... I love you so much..."

Zero didn't respond. All the blood that remained in his brain was being put to work blocking out these heated cries from his brother so that he may finish. For this, he was thankful he could be so turned on in such a sinful way. Arousal and pure desire normally fogged up his mind enough to discourage the guilt that deep down he knew he would be feeling once they finished. He didn't want to think about that right then, however. There were more important things that to which need to be attended...

Ichiru bit his bottom lip so hard hard it was liable to bleed. Zero was really ploughing into him, so much so it was just about past the younger Kiryu's pain threshold. "Nnnh... Zero... Z-Zero...! S-slow down! Please, slo-"

"Just _shut_ the _fuck_ _up_, Ichiru!" snapped Zero, ceasing in his movement for just a moment. Ichiru instantly fell silent, his eyes widening slightly. The elder Kiryu's breath came out in short, ragged gasps, his face contorted in unnecessary anger before noticing the tears glinting in his twin's eyes. His expression fell, stricken over the fact he had just hurt his little brother, the one thing he hadn't wanted to do. However, it was a bit too late to turn back now. Dropping his head to Ichiru's chest, Zero panted, "'Ru... I'm so, _so_ sorry. I just... _need_ you to be quiet for a while. Okay? At least, just don't talk. Please... I just want to get through this..."

Hesitating at his brother's use of the words 'get through this' as though them being together was such a horrible thing, Ichiru eventually moved his hands to Zero's head, stroking his hair gently as he nodded. "All right," he whispered. "All right, I'll stop talking. Let's just," he gulped, "just _get_ _through_ _this_."

Pressing a hot, grateful kiss on his lover's chest, Zero murmured, "Thank you..." He pushed himself back into a more upright position and once more gripped Ichiru's thighs, beginning to move yet again. He kept his pace slow at first, just like before, but it was much more difficult to keep up this pace this time. It wasn't long before they were right back where they had left off, each thrust of Zero's scooting the pair further back on the bed until Ichiru's back was against the headboard. He knew he would be bruised and sore when the sun rose tomorrow, but for now, Ichiru was just going to enjoy this stolen moment with his beloved. Zero was plunging straight to his core, sending electrifying jolts of something completely indescribable zinging through his entire body.

"Nnnh... unh, Zero... Zero, I think I'm going to... going to... ah!" With that, Ichiru toppled over the edge into orgasm, white-hot light blotting out his vision as his mind went blank with ecstasy. Clutching the headboard behind him, he arched his back, changing Zero's position inside him which caused him to cry out, so loudly in fact Zero was surprised the entire campus didn't hear his little brother. He didn't have long to think about that, however, for soon the older of the twin lovers was following his lover's lead, spilling in the sea of climax. His thrusts became more frenzied, the need to bury himself completely inside his brother becoming nearly unbearable. Ichiru seemed to be thinking along the same lines, jerking his hips in time with his twin's thrusts as they rode out the orgasm together.

With one last unrestrained cry, Ichiru peaked, releasing himself all over his twin's stomach. Zero soon followed, exuding his seed deep within his lover's contracting body. It wasn't long before both brothers were laying, limp and spent, on the bed, Ichiru petting his other's sweat-matted hair as Zero rested his head against his chest, trying to catch his breath. Once he did so, he slowly pulled out of his partner, Ichiru grunting uncomfortably as he did so, before flopping on the mattress beside him, his chest heaving. A sudden weight on his side made him glance over to his younger twin, who was half laying on top of him.

"Thank you, Zero," Ichiru whispered between the kisses he was placing on his brother's glistening skin. Then, the call of sleep beginning to settle over him, he laid his head against his lover and grinned coyly up at him, murmuring, "I love you. I love you so much..."

Zero made a non-committal noise, gazing determinedly at the cracked ceiling above him. He waited until his little brother was fast asleep before carefully sliding out from under him, carefully setting him down on the bed and covering him up tenderly. There he stayed for several moments, simply watching as his twin's breath evened out in slumber, his lips relaxing in a light frown. His sweet, precious little brother... Why did he do this? Why did he feel this intense need to dirty his other half? Zero had already resigned himself to the fact that he was going to Hell. Was he really so lonely that he had to drag his twin with him?

Growling in displeasure with himself, Zero slid to the edge of the bed and picked up his discarded jacket, rifling through the pockets. He soon discovered what he sought: a half empty pack of cigarettes he had stolen from Toga Yagari last time he had visited Cross Academy. The elder Kiryu had picked up smoking not long after the incident with Rido. After making separate promises to both Yuki and Ichiru that he wouldn't kill himself (at least, not outright), he saw smoking as a form of lazy suicide. Giving his vampire physiology, he had no idea how long these cancer sticks would take to kill him. Hopefully, it was slowly enough that he had time to repent for his many, _many_ sins but quickly enough for him to leave this earth in an untimely fashion. It would be all for the best, really.

Placing the cigarette between his lips, Zero removed the lighter he also kept in his jacket pocket and flicked it open, lighting his cigarette. He flipped the lighter closed and tossed in back on his jacket, taking a long draw of his cigarette. Blowing out a long stream of smoke, he glanced over his shoulder to where Ichiru was sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of his brother's internal dilemma and completely in love with him, regardless of anything else. Zero loved to watch his twin sleep. It was almost as if he were gazing into the past, looking on the little boy who had always followed him, who always clung to him so desperately in sleep.

With a heavy sigh, Zero scooted closer to his younger brother, stroking his moonlight-dappled hair softly, careful not to wake the slumbering teen. God, he was hopeless. He was hopeless and sinful and he needed to be punished. There were times, so many times, when he wanted to reveal what he and Ichiru were behind closed doors so that someone, _anyone_, would berate him for what he had done, so that at least an outside source would condemn him for what he was instead of just his own conscious.

It would also force him to admit to his own feelings.

Zero loved Ichiru. He loved him more than anything else in the world. It wasn't the brotherly love he had known as a child. No, it was full-blown true, romantic love, the same feeling he recalled once having towards Yuki Cross, now Yuki Kuran. He didn't know when such feelings had transferred from the petite brunette to his twin. Ichiru was nothing like Yuki. He wasn't gentle with him, the way the girl had been, although he was just as selfless. He wasn't openly kind, insisting that any good deeds he preformed were out of pity or for self-serving reasons, despite the fact Zero knew better. His mood was constantly unstable, swinging back and forth between emotions more readily than any girl the elder Kiryu knew. On top of all of that, he was a nigh incorrigible tease. It was a wonder sometimes that Zero could stand being around him, but it appeared he simply couldn't be without him. Surely, Ichiru wasn't anything like Yuki.

Zero had no idea when these feelings of love transferred from Yuki to Ichiru. It had taken him quite a while to realise they had. Despite taking up her rightful spot as the night world's princess, Yuki had chosen to remain in the Day Class, much to her fiancé's disdain, and continued to keep Zero (and Ichiru) company. Since the three were almost always together (much to Ichiru's annoyance), being in all the same classes and given their Guardian duties, Zero just assumed he was still in love with Yuki, despite through all she had put him. It wasn't until the night he had taken Ichiru's innocence that he understood that his feelings weren't being directed towards the girl he had spent the last four years of his life with, but towards his little brother. This realisation had frightened him more than anything else he had known. He was in love with his own brother? How could that be? It was wrong! Just... wrong!

However, it was how things were. It wasn't just Ichiru's body Zero craved. It was everything about him: his laugh, his touch, his mere presence. Zero wanted all of it and he hated himself for it.

So, he denied it. He buried these sinful affections deep down inside of him, satisfying only the physical urges he couldn't fight, much like his bloodlust. However, doing that was only hurting Ichiru. He could see it in his eyes, just like he had tonight. The loneliness, the pain that he couldn't make go away, pain that he caused. He truly needed to end this before something happened that both of them regretted forever. Zero wished he could tell Ichiru that he returned his feelings for him. Oh, how he wished he could! However, all those mental blocks, the world he had been raised in, everything prevented him from accomplishing that. All he could do now was hope that these feelings would fade with time. They had to, they simply had to do so.

Besides, he, Zero Kiryu, did not deserve to be loved.

Heaving another sigh, Zero bowed his head and placed a gentle kiss on Ichiru's cheek. "I love you, 'Ru," he whispered. "I love you so much it hurts sometimes. God, why can I only tell you this when you're asleep? You deserve so much better than me..."

Zero finished his cigarette a few minutes later, grinding it out on the floor beside the bed before crawling under the covers with his brother. Taking Ichiru's hand, he spent the next several moments just staring at his twin, watching his peaceful face before drifting off into sleep himself.


	2. No Expectations

"_A/N: And here it is! The second chapter! Sort of a major change in mood from last chapter, which was all sexy and whatnot, while this chapter is... not. I want to give a huge thank you to my wonderful, glorious big sister for beta-ing this for me, even though mpreg squicks her out a bit (I spared her the previous chapter lest she have a heart attack)! By the way, the nickname Zero uses for Ichiru ('Ru) I stole from the ever marvellous _freya kurenai_, who knows I use it and has deemed me permission to do so. Oh, and if you're wondering why lunch comes after second period, I don't know. That's because that's how my schedule worked during my last school year? Yeah. On a separate note (because I feel like rambling), has anyone ever heard the song "Pieces" by Allison Iraheta? No? Anyway, that song reminds be a lot of how I envision Zero and Ichiru's relationship (from Ichiru's POV). Seriously, though, give it a listen. I absolutely adore Allison. I saw her in concert recently (she was opening for Adam Lambert; that man consists entirely of sex and literally sweats glitter, let me tell you) and she was so cute, such a little rocker girl! Then, I shocked myself by recalling she's the same age as I am. XD; Anywho, I've rambled long enough. On with the story!*_

**Chapter One**

**No Expectations**

"...'Ru... Ichiru... Ichiru! Wake up! Dammit, if you don't wake up soon, we're going to be late for first period!"

Awakened none-too-gently by his brother's incessant shaking, Ichiru groaned in exhaustion and rolled over, burying his face in his pillow and grimacing when he found it covered in drool. "What do you care about missing first period?" he grumbled, his voice muffled by the saliva-soaked pillow. "You're always late for class, so don't you act all high-and-mighty to me. Come on, just let me sleep a little longer..."

Zero sighed in exasperation. This had become the regular morning routine for the twins over the last couple of weeks. The elder Kiryu would wake, usually late as his brother had inferred, shower, and dress, only to find the younger still fast asleep. He would then spend the next fifteen minutes attempt to coax his little brother out of bed, something that seemed like a losing battle until he dragged him forcibly out from under the covers. Zero simply couldn't see why Ichiru was so tired all the time. Sure, being a Guardian at Cross Academy was exhausting work, what with working all night and then attending classes during the day. Hell, even veterans like he and Yuki still found it difficult to wake up in the morning and continued to fall asleep in class. However, Ichiru was now taking this to its logical extreme. He was seemingly tired constantly despite catching up on his shut-eye nearly every chance he got. Zero was beginning to think that perhaps the demands of being a Guardian were too much for his little brother. Sure, he was stronger than he had been as a child, but he was still no match for either Zero or the newly-revamped Yuki.

"Ichiru, seriously, get up," ordered Zero sternly, whisking the blankets of his younger lover and ignoring the wince that followed. "I'm up on time for once and by all means, you should be, too."

"Jackass!" Flipping over onto his back, Ichiru catapulted into an upright position and swung his legs over the side of the bed, storming towards the door of the dorm room he shared with his brother as nature called him rather urgently. "You're lucky I have to piss so badly or else you would be so dead right now!"

"Yeah, like you could take me," Zero muttered under his breath as Ichiru slammed the door behind him. He had no desire to point this out to his other half, though, given Ichiru's current temperament. The younger Kiryu seemed even more volatile than usual, completely losing it over the smallest things, whether it be wrinkles in his shirt or not being able to solve a problem on his algebra homework. The latter had actually reduced Ichiru to tears, a reaction that had taken Zero aback quite a bit, and violently refused any attempts to console him or even help with the problem. With that in mind, Zero decided it was probably best not to pick any fights with his brother until whatever was making him half-crazy went away. He continued preparing for class, gathering up all the supplies he would need for the day.

Ichiru returned several minutes later, much more mellow than when he had left, although that could be because he was looking rather wrung out. Ceasing what he was doing, Zero straightened up and frowned, lavender eyes flickering with concern as he took in the dejected form of his twin leaning against the door. "'Ru? You okay?"

Shaking his head, Ichiru murmured, "I'm fine... I just need to brush my teeth." Not waiting for Zero's reply, he vanished into the small washroom attached to the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. He knew if he didn't Zero would only lean in the door and attempt to talk to him, to try and figure out what was wrong. Ichiru wasn't in the mood for that. All he wanted to do was get the taste of vomit out of his mouth.

He was hardly aware of his actions as he turned on the sink faucet, wetting his toothbrush and smearing it with toothpaste before turning the water off again. They were motions he repeated every morning, almost in robotic fashion, that didn't need much thought or consideration. No, he had more important things on his hazy mind, such as his relentlessly uneasy stomach that was threatening to spill whatever remained in it yet again. Scrubbing furiously at the inside of his mouth to remove any of the acrid after-taste, Ichiru tried desperately to figure out _why_. Why did he feel this way? He had already ruled out some form of depression regarding the fact Zero was ignoring him again; while that might explain the fatigue he was feeling, it still left the nausea and now apparently the actual act of tossing his cookies. Ichiru had neglected to mention that part to his brother. He knew the elder Kiryu would only throw a fit and try to get him to go see a doctor or something. He wouldn't do that. He didn't need some useless person in a white coat prescribing him pills that wouldn't work in any case.

A knocking on the washroom door roused Ichiru from his thoughts. "Hey, are you okay in there, 'Ru?" came the worried voice of Zero, filling the younger Kiryu with vexation.

Spitting into the sink, Ichiru snapped, "Yes, I'm fine! Just... just leave me alone! I don't need you constantly checking up on me! God!"

Zero blinked, taking a step away from the door. All right, so his twin was in one of his more touchy moods. It would be best to proceed with caution, if he proceeded at all. "Okay then," he replied slowly. "Well, you do need to sort of hurry up. You know, class and all..."

At that moment, the door to washroom clicked opened and Ichiru emerged, looking down right murderous as he glared at his other. "I am _not_ a little kid any more, Zero," he growled. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, so I don't need you to do it for me! You're not Mom!"

"I never said I was Mom!" Zero cried defensively. "I just worried about you is all. You've been acting really odd lately..."

"Odd? _Odd_?" Shoving roughly past his brother, Ichiru stomped over to his closet and began ripping out the different articles of his school uniform, tossing them haphazardly onto his bed. "Of course I'm acting odd," he muttered angrily under his breath. "I feel like crap and I have a lover who wants absolutely nothing to do with me. Anyone would be acting odd with all of that happening to them..."

"What was that?"

Whipping around, Ichiru strode determinedly to Zero and, cupping the face of his mirror image tenderly in his hands, pressed his lips against his lover's. As he expected, Zero rejected the kiss, taking a step back and shaking his head. The action may have been unconscious on the elder Kiryu's part, but it still tore through the younger like a knife. Trying to ignore the tears suddenly pricking his eyes, Ichiru shook his own head and said, "You think I'm disgusting, don't you? You think _we're_ disgusting. Don't you?"

"Ichiru, it's not like that at all!" Zero insisted quickly, utterly bewildered as from where these mood swings were coming. "I don't think you're disgusting at all!" _In fact, it's just the opposite. _"It's just... Look, we're already going to be late for class, so just get dressed and let's get going."

His breath hitching in his chest, Ichiru half-sobbed, "Why do you never want to talk about us? This is why we're so fucked up! Because we never talk! You know what? Never mind. Just get out."

Blinking, Zero repeated blankly, "Get out?"

"Yes, get out!" Grabbing Zero's shoulder, Ichiru began steering his elder brother towards the door of the dorm room, opening it and shoving him through it. "Get out so I can change!"

"Wha-" Zero barely had any time to ask questions, however, as nearly as soon as his little brother had forcefully evicted him from their room, the door was slammed behind him. Sighing, the elder Kiryu turned around and placed his arm on the door, leaning his forehead against his arm. "Ichiru..." he pleaded quietly, hitting his palm half-heartedly against the door. "Ichiru, please let me back in. Come on, there's nothing to be ashamed of. It's not like we've never seen each other naked before. Come on, don't be like this..."

"Go. Away. Go away!"

Zero sighed. This wasn't going well. Perhaps it would be best simply to let Ichiru simmer down for a while, just until he could finally compose himself. "All right, 'Ru," he said through the door, his voice filled with resignation. "I'm going to go ahead to class. You just come whenever you've calmed down, okay?" He waited for a few moments, but when his statement was only met with silence, the elder Kiryu sighed again and walked away from the door, making his way to class.

Ichiru turned up for class about halfway through second period, receiving a severe berating from the teacher on the consequences of tardiness and being threatened with a week's worth of detention before being allowed to slink moodily to his seat. The entire duration of these events the younger Kiryu resolutely ignored his brother's discreet attempts to garner his attention. He knew that Zero only wanted to check up on him (which, really, was simply annoying); however, he didn't want his overly concerned twin to see his red, puffy eyes, evidence of the crying jag he had allowed himself soon after Zero had left.

Staring fixedly at the open notebook on his desk, Ichiru fought the urge to sink down in his seat as his face coloured in shame. He was _pathetic_. How could he _cry_ over _nothing_ like that? The last time he had cried that hard had been the night that Shizuka-sama had died, but at least then he had had a legitimate reason for tears. He had been in love with the woman, for God's sake! He still was... Damn it, no wonder Zero treated him like a child. He was acting like a child, blubbering over nothing like he was. So what if all his loves were destined to be unrequited? He would deal. He always had in the past. What was so different this time?

His stomach churned uncomfortably, causing Ichiru to clutch it as he desperately tried to swallow the bile rising in his throat. God damn it. Maybe he just shouldn't have bothered coming to class. He still felt sick from this morning. Even so, he didn't want Zero to irritate him with his worrywart ways. He would just have to tough it out for the time being. And ignore the pair of lavender eyes he could practically feel boring into the back of his skull.

Zero hadn't taken his eyes off of his twin ever since he had first entered the classroom. He had almost feared Ichiru wouldn't show up for class. His brother's behaviour had become increasingly erratic as of late. Not that Ichiru was all that predictable to begin with, but recently, it had become worse than usual. One could never tell what mood the younger Kiryu would be in as it seemed to change with each passing minute. There was every likelihood that the young human would walk out of this classroom all smiles, having completely forgotten their argument this morning. However, it was just possible that he would come out just as angry or upset as he had been earlier. It was truly anyone's guess.

The elder Kiryu was not unaware that his emotional capabilities were minimal at best. It seemed he either defaulted to anger or numbness, depending on the situation. This fact alone made his pairing with his twin very interesting. Ichiru was a very emotional being. Zero knew this. He had accepted his brother's frequent changes in moods and had learn to live with them, first as a child and then again as an adolescent. Even so, that was nothing compared to whatever Ichiru was going through now. What was happening to Ichiru now... it concerned Zero more than he would like to admit. It wasn't normal. This went beyond whatever adolescence-fuelled rampage to which the younger Kiryu usually prescribed. Something was wrong. He just didn't know what.

The bell rang roughly forty-five minutes later, causing Ichiru to start a bit. He must have drifted off a little during the end of class, he supposed, although he didn't remember doing so. Glancing down at his notebook, the younger Kiryu found to his continuing disbelief that he had managed not to write down a single thing regarding the teacher's lecture during the entire period. Damn it, and it would probably be on the exam as well... He supposed he could simply ask Zero for the notes, but his pride was vehemently against the idea. However, speaking of Zero, he had to swallow his pride, anyway. With a resigned sigh, Ichiru pushed himself to his feet and, gathering his things, joined the throng of students filing out into the corridor on their way to the cafeteria for lunch.

As he expected, Zero was waiting for him right outside the classroom. Ordering his pride to take a hike for a few minutes, Ichiru inhaled deeply before speaking to his brother. "Look, I'm sorry I freaked out on you this morning," he snapped, sounding more rough than he had originally intended as his face warmed a bit, but he just wasn't used to being the one to apologise. "But you can't exactly blame me! I mean, do you know how hard it is for me to be with someone who ignores my very existence half of the time? Because I'm telling you right now, it isn't easy."

Zero rolled his eyes as he and his twin began travelling towards the cafeteria. Was he still on about that? "I do _not_ ignore your existence, 'Ru," he mumbled under his breath, his lilac eyes flickering to their surroundings to make sure no one was listening into their conversation. He hated it when his other found the need to discuss their relationship (or apparent lack thereof) in public. What if someone overheard them? They would both be in a world of trouble if anyone discovered what they had been up to recently.

"_Sure_ you don't," sniffed Ichiru indignantly, not sure if he was really upset at the moment or if he was just using their relationship to make sure the focus remained off of himself. "The only time you ever talk to me is when you're being overly concerned about the way I've been acting or something like that, and even then it's just you telling me what I should and should not do. God, you can be such a _big_ _brother_ sometimes!"

"But I _am_ your big brother," Zero pointed out firmly, partially to remind his twin of the fact while at the same time reiterating it to himself. What he had said before was true. The elder Kiryu had definitely not been ignoring Ichiru's existence. In fact, it was something he sorely wished he could do. There wasn't a thing the former human didn't notice about his little brother, and it was driving him insane. Zero had managed to be good for nearly six weeks now (he was ticking off the days on a small calendar hidden in his desk). He hadn't touched Ichiru since that night in the demolished Moon Dorm. That didn't mean he hadn't been tempted, though. Watching Ichiru dress and undress each day, seeing him get out of the shower, merely brushing up against him; everything seemed enough to send those unbearable little jolts of electricity throughout his body. Try as he might to keep his sinful desires at bay, it seemed the entire would was out to make him cave in to his attraction to his twin brother. It certainly didn't help matters that Ichiru was but a bed away most nights.

Unaware of the constantly raging conflict inside of his reluctant lover, Ichiru went on with his argument. "Yes, if you want to get really technical," he spat, "then I suppose you _are_ my big brother. But damn it, that doesn't mean you have to act like you are! For God's sake, you can't exactly call our relationship 'brotherly' any more."

Not even wanting to get into this, Zero made the executive decision to direct the topic away from the reality that he and Ichiru actively engaged in incest. Stopping dead in his tracks, the elder Kiryu grabbed his younger counterpart by the shoulders and whipped him around so that they were facing each other, practically slamming his brother into a nearby wall. "Okay, I've said this before, but now I'm _really_ worried," he stated firmly under his breath. "What's up, 'Ru? You've been acting so damn weird lately..."

"Well, I feel weird, so I think it's suitable that I'm acting that way as well," growled Ichiru in response, shoving his brother away from him. He proceeded to walk away.

Zero didn't like the sound of that. Normally, when anyone professed to feeling 'weird,' it never lead to anything good. "Wait, what do you mean you feel weird?" the elder Kiryu demanded, chasing after his twin and grabbing at his wrist, which Ichiru instantly wrenched out of his grasp. "Like sick weird or...?"

"No, Zero! Not sick weird! Just... weird!" retorted the younger Kiryu, not being entirely truthful, but wanting to get Zero off his back all the same. He simply couldn't stand it when his brother fussed over him, and he knew that would be exactly what would happen if his twin knew how ill he had been feeling as of late. Sighing in exasperation, Ichiru ran his fingers through his silver bangs and said, "Look, maybe I just need to eat something. After all, neither of us had breakfast this morning. Come on, let's go get lunch." Almost subconsciously, he reached for his brother's hand, which Zero immediately retracted.

Shaking his head, Zero glared at his little brother as he murmured, "Are you _insane_? What have I said about PDAs?"

Ichiru fought back the overwhelming urge to point out that there was hardly anyone around at the moment and instead put his energy into rolling his eyes. "Whatever," he muttered grumpily. "Let's just go." He began storming towards the cafeteria, not really caring if his brother followed him or not. He wasn't even sure whether or not he wanted Zero's company at the moment. His emotions were rather conflicting at the moment; part of him was angry with his lover, part of him was slightly amused that his brother had actually used the term 'PDA,' and finally, part of him was trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with him, just as much as his twin was. That, however, was all wiped from Ichiru's mind as he and Zero entered the cafeteria.

It was the most nauseating smell that had ever assaulted his nostrils (well, besides whatever the hell Cross came up with). Trying as he might to not gag, Ichiru clamped a hand to his mouth, plugging his nose simultaneously. Damn, the cafeteria must be dishing out some bad meat today. The food never smelled this bad!

"Ichiru, are you al-"

"On second thought, I'm not really that hungry," the younger Kiryu cut off Zero before he had a chance to ask, for the umpteenth time, if his brother was okay. That, and he was trying to cover up the fact his stomach had just growled loudly, contradicting his statement. He turned on his heel and began hurrying away from the cafeteria, wanting to remove himself as far from the offending smell as possible. He found relief in a courtyard nearby, relishing the fresh air that hardly contained any stench. Sighing, he lowered himself onto the low brick wall and took a deep breath, savouring the light fragrance of cherry blossoms that still lingered in the air. The blooming season was almost over, with summer just around the corner. This saddened Ichiru a bit. He had been hoping that he and Zero would do something romantic, like having a picnic in the park or something along those lines. Anything to suggest that their relationship was about more than just sex (although it wasn't even about that at the moment). The younger of the twins was sure he had dropped several hints in the weeks following that last night, but his brother was either being as dense as usual or he was resolutely disregarding him. Each explanation was equally as likely. Speaking of which...

Ichiru glanced over to where his twin was standing before him. As expected, the elder Kiryu had lit up a cigarette and was puffing away on it like there was no tomorrow. Ichiru rolled his eyes. He hated the way the taste of tobacco masked his lover's natural flavour whenever they kissed, but damn if Zero didn't look sexy with a cigarette hanging from his full lips. "God, you just can't wait to get your nicotine fix, can you, big brother?" the younger Kiryu smirked, crossing his legs and leaning back on his hands.

"Shut up," growled Zero, knocking the ashes off the tip of his cigarette before replacing it back in his mouth. "Anyway, I have a question: You get so annoyed when I act like your older brother, and yet you always call me 'big brother.' What gives?"

Furrowing his brow lightly, Ichiru wondered for a moment if he actually did that. After realising that he did, he shrugged. "The forbidden fruit always tastes sweetest. Huh, _big_ _brother_?" the human twin added with a mischievous grin. He was hardly in the mood for intimacy, but it was just ridiculously fun to tease his elder twin.

It was Zero's turn to roll his eyes. God, Ichiru could be so infuriating at times! It was like his brother knew exactly what sort of effect he had on him and just flaunted it, intentionally or unintentionally. _Well, of course he does, _the older of the brothers thought bitterly. _When you're fucking someone, it's pretty obvious what kind of reaction you have to them._ "You need to eat something."

"I've already said I'm not hungry," Ichiru insisted snappily, looking away from his brother and trying to ignore the relentless contracting of his stomach. He was starving, but he didn't think he could handle the food the school was serving, not with the way it smelled. He'd just have to put something together later, even if it was only saltines and ginger ale.

"Oh, come on. You haven't eaten anything all day," Zero pointed out. "If you don't want to eat school food, I'll get you something from the vending machine. What do you want?"

Ichiru smirked, a gesture which should have come immediately as a warning sign to the elder Kiryu. "_You_, Zero," he murmured, turning his gaze back to his reluctant lover, that familiar glint in his lavender eyes. "I want _you_."

Resolutely ignoring the come on, Zero extinguished his cigarette on the sole of his shoe. "Whatever," he growled. "You'll just have to eat what I bring you, then." With a careless wave of his hand, the elder Kiryu disappeared from the courtyard in search of food for his younger brother.

Pouting slightly at the fact he was being left alone, Ichiru swung his legs onto the wall, leaning against one of the columns. Zero could be so touchy sometimes. He wasn't seriously trying to seduce his twin. No, he felt too much like crap to do that. He was just being the tease he always was. His brother just couldn't take a joke.

His stomach churned again, causing Ichiru to clutch it with a grimace. Damn. He was starving... On the bright side, however, if there was nothing in his stomach, then there was nothing for him to throw up later.

"Hey, Ichiru! Where's Zero?"

Ichiru smelled the offensive odour before he saw the actual food. Trying desperately to swallow the bile suddenly rising in his throat, the young human slowly turned to see Yuki Kuran and her good friend, Sayori Wakaba, standing in the courtyard, each carrying a tray of the food he had specifically come to the secluded spot to avoid. Not able to tear his eyes away from the trays the girls were holding, he answered haltingly, "Uh, Zero's... he's, um... h-he's getting some food."

"Oh." Yuki appeared to shrink a bit at this news, a dejected little pout forming on her lips. "Well, I guess we'll have to wait for him to come back. Do you mind if we sit here?" Without even waiting for the younger Kiryu's answer, the pair of girls sat down on the wall by Ichiru's feet, beginning to talk quietly amongst themselves.

The young man was about to snap, "Yes, I do mind," but the bile bubbling in his throat became much too difficult to ignore. Clapping a hand to his mouth, Ichiru leapt from the wall and rushed towards the nearest garbage bin. He gripped the edges and doubled over, heaving into the garbage can just as Zero returned to the courtyard.

"Ichiru!" Dropping the food he had gathered for his brother, Zero rushed to his twin's side, clutching his shoulders as Ichiru gave a few more dry heaves before straightening up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Ichiru, what's going on?"

"God..." Ichiru stared in slight disbelief at the trash can, barely even regarding the sudden reappearance of his elder brother. "Damn it, I didn't think I had anything left to throw up..."

Blinking in slight confusion, Zero asked "What? Anything left? Do you mean that you've been sick before?" The elder Kiryu was torn between concern for Ichiru's well-being and anger that he had not a clue what was happening in his brother's life. Ichiru never felt the need to share when something was wrong with him, although that was most likely the elder Kiryu's fault for being borderline smothering in his anxiety for his younger twin. After all, Ichiru was the last family he had left. He had come much too close to losing all of that not once, but twice before. He never wanted to experience that ever again.

Without really considering what he was doing, Ichiru nodded as he combed his fingers through his silver bangs. "Yeah, just once this morning," he murmured, breathing heavily. What was _wrong_ with him? As much as it pained him to admit it, he was just as confused as Zero over his condition, although for him it led more to frustration than worry.

"Ichiru, are you all right?"

Damn that voice! How could something so adorable grate so excruciatingly on his every nerve? Oh, right. That was because he despised the person to whom the voice belonged. Whipping around to face the petite brunette, Ichiru snapped, "What the _hell_ is wrong with you? Seriously, how _stupid_ can you possibly be?"

"Ichiru!" hissed Zero warningly, a bit shocked that his little brother was behaving this way. It wasn't precisely a secret that Ichiru disliked the pureblood girl, but usually he restrained himself to snide remarks and thinly-veiled insults. This was going a little too far.

Ichiru shrugged his twin off, not particularly caring at that moment what Zero had to say. The silver-haired boy knew his anger was disproportionate to Yuki's crime, seeing how the girl had no way of knowing of his current aversion to whatever it was in the cafeteria that was making him feel ill. Still, he absolutely despised being sick, a hatred that almost equalled his dislike of Yuki Kuran, and since he couldn't take out on his frustration on the illness itself, he would have to simply lash out at the next best thing. "Why do you think we came out here, you idiot? To escape whatever shit that they're serving in the cafeteria today! God, how can you even eat that? It smells disgusting!"

Yuki blinked, nearly as surprised as Zero was. She, of course, knew the younger Kiryu was hardly fond of her (for reasons she couldn't even imagine – she hadn't done anything to him!). Then there was this odd accusation against the cafeteria food. "Ichiru what are you talking about? There's nothing wrong with lunch today! It tastes and smells just fine!" After a moment's thought, the petite vampire girl added, "And I'm not an idiot!"

"Of _course_ you are! But that's not the point!" Ichiru barked, dissolving into full tantrum mode now. Zero recognised this and attempted to take steps to prevent a complete meltdown. Or at least try to direct some of his brother's ire towards him.

Grabbing Ichiru's arm, the elder Kiryu yanked his younger counterpart around to face him, earning himself a downright murderous glare. "Ichiru, that really isn't necessary," Zero scolded darkly, returning his brother's glare with one of his own. The only onlookers, Yuki and Yori, were suddenly overcome by the realisation that the Kiryu twins never appeared more alike then when they were both angry.

Ichiru bit out an incredulous laugh. "Oh, Mr. Overkill's lecturing _me_ on what's necessary!" he cried, positively elated by the irony of his twin's lecture. "Now, isn't _that_ rich? And why is that food still here? God, it's making me gag!" As if to demonstrate this, the young human truly did gag and gripped the trash bin once more, clamping a hand over his mouth.

Sighing, Zero gripped his little brother's shoulders and began steering him out of the courtyard. "Come on, let's just get out of here before you kill someone," he grumbled, trying his best to persuade Ichiru to go along with him with having to physically drag him away. It did not pan out well, not that he was expecting it to happen any other way.

The younger Kiryu jumped at the contact and spun around, staring wide-eyed at his elder brother. "Where the hell do you think you're taking me?" he demanded suspiciously. "We don't need to go anywhere. They're the ones who need to leave!" He indicated the two girls standing off to the side accusingly. "They're the ones who brought that... that... crap here!" Ichiru grimaced at the trays of food Yuki and Yori had left on the wall.

"Ichiru, I'm taking you to the infirmary." Already anticipating the reaction this would elicit from his other half, Zero added quickly, "Now, before you fly off the handle, this is only because I'm worried about you. This could be the flu. So, in lieu of taking you to the hospital – which I might do eventually, anyway – you're going to see the school doctor and get some rest."

"I do not _need_ rest and I do not _need_ to go to the infirmary!" Ichiru insisted stubbornly, folding his arms over his chest. This was precisely why he didn't reveal anything to Zero. He knew his elder brother would merely find more ways to treat him like a child. "I'm _fine_!"

"You just threw up! Something which apparently also happened this morning," Zero pointed out solemnly. "I'm not taking any chances with you."

"Taking any chances with me? I'm not made of glass, Zero!" Ichiru was truly becoming sick and tired of his twin handling him so gently. He realised that the reason behind Zero's over-protectiveness was the close call they had experienced all those months ago. Yes, he understood that he had nearly died, however; given the fact that he had _survived_ that night showed he was made of tougher stuff than his twin believed him to be. "I can handle myself! I can take care of myself!"

Zero was slowly becoming frustrated with his little brother. He was completely aware of Ichiru's perpetually swinging moods. Even so, there was only so much one person could take before he wanted to simply slap the younger Kiryu across the face. "Ichiru, I understand you can take care of yourself, but you so damned stubborn!" he snapped, his patience wearing thin. "Just... let the school doctor take a look at you and take some time to rest."

As much as he didn't want to give in to his brother's demands (as dictated by the stubborn streak Zero had so kindly pointed out), Ichiru truly wanted to get Zero off his back. Maybe if he went along with his twin, he would be left alone. "...If I go to the infirmary, do you promise to leave me alone?" he asked grumpily, shifting slightly.

"_Yes_," Zero groaned in exasperation, partially lying. He would cease pestering his brother long enough for Ichiru to forget that he had promised to leave him alone, then simply begin again. "Now, come on." Grabbing his twin by the wrist, the elder Kiryu proceeded to drag his reluctant other out of the courtyard, leaving a very befuddled Yuki and Yori in their wake.

Following a few moments of silence, Yuki turned the petite blonde, tilting her head questioningly. "What do you think all that was about?" She had already perceived that there was more to the argument they had just witnessed than met the eye.

Yori gave this question a second or two of consideration before shrugging. "Who knows? The twins are always fighting about something or other, it seems. I suppose they truly are siblings." Then, crossing her arms and tapping her chin in thought, she added, "There is something about them that seems a little... off, though. Especially Ichiru."

"You think?" Yori nodded, causing Yuki to gain a thoughtful expression on her face. Then, the petite brunette broke into a wide grin, barely able to contain the laughter that suddenly overcame her. "Maybe he's PMSing!" she cried, obviously amused by her joke at the younger Kiryu's expense. When her good friend fixed her with a questioning look, Yuki sweated a bit and explained, "He always seems more surly than usual for a short while every month. You know, like he's – never mind."

Patting the vampire girl on the shoulder, Yori replied, "No, I understand. Perhaps I should interrogate them later..." She gazed thoughtfully in the direction off in which the Kiryu twins had scampered.

Yuki merely stared at her friend, feeling a mixture between exasperated and frightened. "What is with you and interrogating people?" she asked.

Shrugging, the small blonde replied, "I don't know. I just think it's sort of fun."

The pureblood princess wasn't sure what to think of her best friend's answer. Luckily, her stomach gave a rather insistent growl and she turned back to the tray laden with food laying abandoned on the low wall, gazing at it longingly. "Now that Ichiru's gone, we can finally eat!"

"Zero! _Zero_! Stop shoving! God, I already agreed to go! It's not like I'm going to bolt at the first opportunity!"

Paying no heed to his brother's words, knowing full well they were lies, Zero continued pushing Ichiru towards the infirmary, giving him one final shove through the doorway. "Quit your whining," he grumbled, crossing his arms as he blocked the room's only exit on the very likely chance that his brother would run the first chance he received. "You'll thank me for this later."

Ichiru rolled his eyes, highly doubting this. "Yes, I'm sure I will," he muttered sardonically under his breath. He happened to despise Zero at this moment. Why, oh _why_, did Zero have to return right when he was being sick? Could he possibly have worse luck? ...Yes, he could.

The school doctor appeared at that moment, having heard someone enter the infirmary. She smiled at the identical silver-haired students now gracing the infirmary. She was well acquainted with the elder of the twins, often discovering the young man napping in one of the beds when he should be in class. However, she had yet to be introduced to the younger brother as he avoided this place like the plague. "Oh, hello, Kiryu and, uh, Kiryu." She sweated slightly. "What brings you here? Not skipping class again, are we?" The doctor shot Zero a disapproving glare.

"No, I'm here for a legitimate reason," Zero sighed. Then, nodding towards Ichiru, he added, "Or he is, anyway."

"Oh?" The doctor glanced over to Ichiru, tilting her head to the side as she gave the younger Kiryu with a questioning look. "And what seems to be the problem?"

"Nothing!" insisted Ichiru vehemently. "I have a little bug, and he's blowing it completely out of proportion!"

Offering the irritable boy a kind smile, the doctor gestured to the nearest bed and said, "Well, why don't we just see about that?"

Groaning in exasperation, Ichiru plopped on the bed, crossing his arms and legs temperamentally. God, he hated this. He hated all of this. There was a reason he avoided the infirmary. It reminded him much too much of his childhood, a time in his life he wasn't fond of revisiting.

The doctor pulled up a wheeled chair, taking a seat in front of Ichiru. "So, what's been going on?" she inquired, trying to seem as innocuous as possible, given the adolescent's defensive stance.

"Nothing," Ichiru repeated.

"He's been feeling nauseous," Zero answered the doctor for his stubborn little brother.

Ichiru whipped around to glare venomously at his twin. "How the hell would you know?" he demanded dubiously. "I haven't told you anything!"

"Twin telepathy," replied Zero flatly. "That and the fact that you threw up barely five minutes ago. Oh, and he's been unusually tired lately," he tacked on, looking towards the doctor.

"Could that be because I'm _up_ _all_ _night_?" Ichiru pointed out through gritted teeth. This was such a Zero thing, making everything appear more dire than it actually was. Why shouldn't he be tired? Being a Guardian was exhausting work! As for the nausea, he was sure there was a reasonable, non-threatening explanation for it. In the younger Kiryu's mind, there was absolutely nothing about which to be concerned. Turning to the doctor, he flashed the woman his most charming smile and said, "I'm fine. Truly. My brother's just a worrywart. Don't pay attention to him."

Returning the adolescent's grin, the doctor replied, "Well, let's just see about that, hm? Just to put your brother's mind at ease." She rose from her seat and moved over to the medical supply cabinets, fetching a thermometer before going back to Ichiru. "Shall we take your temperature, then?" the doctor said, still smiling as she waited for the younger twin to open his mouth. "Now, keep this under your tongue for one minute. And no talking!" She glared scoldingly at the boy as a pre-emptive strike. "I'll be right back."

The doctor left the twins to themselves, which may have been somewhat dangerous under normal circumstances, disappearing into her office in the back of the infirmary. Ichiru shot Zero a dark glower, the thermometer in his mouth preventing him from shouting the lecture his brother deserved.

Zero rolled his eyes. "It's no use glaring at me like that," he informed Ichiru matter-of-factly. "This is for your own good. You _will_ thank me for this."

Ichiru continued to highly doubt this. From his experience, nothing good ever came about as the result of doctors. All they did was simply prescribe useless pills for illnesses they couldn't identify. He should know. Elbows digging into his thighs, Ichiru rested his chin in his palm in a slightly defeated slump.

The elder Kiryu watched his younger brother closely, a frown tugging at his lips. He knew that by doing this he officially failed in his mission to not piss Ichiru off until his mood stabilized, but he was honestly concerned for his twin's well-being. That was the whole reason he was so desperate to distance himself from Ichiru, at least in the romantic sense. He was tired of his other half constantly getting hurt because of him.

The clicking of heels announced the return of the doctor, who strode over to the twin still seated on the bed, removing the thermometer from his mouth. She frowned lightly at the results. "Well, it seems you have a bit of a fever, Kiryu," she informed Ichiru gently.

Blinking in slight surprise, Ichiru said, a bit insulted, "Are you kidding me? There's no way I have a fever! This is insane!"

"Oh, it's nothing much," the doctor sighed at the young man's incredulity. "Just a degree or two. Still, you could have a touch of the flu, so I recommend you rest here for the rest of the school day-"

"That's ridiculous! I do not have the flu!" snapped Ichiru. He simply didn't get sick any more, not since ingesting Shizuka-sama's blood. He was so much stronger than people gave him credit for nowadays. God, he hated doctors. They all thought they knew everything. "There's no reason for me to stay here. I'm perfectly fine, thank you very much. Now, if you'll excuse me..." He attempted to rise from the bed, but Zero instantly stepped in to thwart his efforts.

"Ichiru, I want you to _listen_ to the doctor and just _stay_ _here_," Zero ordered his twin firmly, shoving Ichiru back on the bed. When the younger Kiryu opened his mouth to retort, he added, "Fine, if you don't want to listen to the doctor, then listen to me. Please, just stay here for my sake and get some rest."

Ichiru narrowed his eyes at his other, a thousand separate arguments for why he was completely all right and why he should be allowed to attend the rest of his classes (honestly, there was no point in missing them; Zero would simply make him do all the work he missed regardless). However, he was much too tired to deal with his brother's over-protectiveness at the moment. When he was feeling a little more up to it, he would have his silly, childish revenge on Zero. Collapsing back onto the infirmary bed, Ichiru huffed, "Fine. Whatever."

Zero produced an exasperated noise. Great, just great. Now, Ichiru was angry with him and who knew how long _that_ would last. Why must he be cursed with such a temperamental little brother? "This is for the best. You'll see." When the younger Kiryu merely grunted in reply, the elder sighed and, shoving his hands in his pants pockets, turned to leave. "Oh, and Cross wants us for dinner before changeover."

Shooting upright, Ichiru fixed his elder twin with the ghastliest look the young vampire hunter had ever seen on his brother's face. Then, collapsing back on the bed, he groaned, "That's it. The universe officially hates me."

The vampire twin opened his mouth to retort before closing it again. No, that was almost sadly too easy. Considering how much of that was truly his fault... Turning back to the doorway, Zero muttered, "I'll come get you after class. See you later."

Not even dignifying this with a response, Ichiru allowed his eyes to fall shut as he waited for his twin to leave him. It would be a true breath of fresh air to be out from under the smothering, overprotective thumb of his well-meaning older brother. Yes, he wanted Zero's attention, but this was simply the wrong _sort_ of attention. This wasn't the sort of love he desired from his twin. Ichiru's eyes began to burn beneath his lids and he grimaced in displeasure with himself. Was he seriously going to begin crying again? What a crock. He was behaving like some besotted little girl.

"Is there anything I can get for you, Kiryu?"

The doctor's voice cut into Ichiru's pensive haze, further irritating the silver-haired human. Why was everyone so intent on taking care of him? He wasn't a child! He was seventeen, for God's sake! In a couple weeks, he would be eighteen, legally an adult. "No, I'm fine," he answered shortly, not even opening his eyes.

Nodding, the doctor said, "Well, if you do think of something you need, I'll just be in my office. Don't be afraid to give a shout!"

Ichiru made a non-committal noise, simply wanting the woman to leave him be. She did so soon afterwards, allowing the teen to focus on other things vastly more important to him, such as Zero. Why was it always Zero? What was it about the elder Kiryu that made everyone in the world simply want to obsess over him? What made him so god damn special? The younger Kiryu hated that about his brother. He hated it so much. Perhaps this was because he, too, was under his twin's mysterious power. That must be why he was so in love with Zero. There was no other explanation. It wasn't as though they had much in common, and they were always fighting. God, why _was_ he in love with him?

And why was he so drowsy? Zero was right. Something was wrong. However, the infirmary was very warm, most likely because of the approaching summer, and the bed was almost ridiculously comfortable. Somewhere in a distant window, a fly was buzzing lazily, breaking the cosy silence. Ichiru was finding it more and more difficult to stay focused. His mind continued to fade in and out, not entirely willing to surrender to sleep. Ichiru couldn't resist for long, though, and soon he was fast asleep.

Zero returned at the end of lessons, just as he had promised. He wasn't at all shocked to discover his brother had fallen asleep in his absence. Also as expected, Ichiru threw a fit when he was woken up, snapping at the elder Kiryu for some ridiculous reason. Ichiru's slight fever still hadn't gone down, but he was in no mood to be lectured by any sort of medical professional and stormed out of the infirmary, leaving Zero to apologize to the very flustered doctor.

The younger Kiryu's attitude hardly improved by the time they reached Headmaster Cross' apartment, but at least he was eating something, so Zero was lenient. However, he was a bit concerned over the fact the only thing his twin seemed willing to eat was pickle chips, something with Yuki took issue with judging by the way she wrinkled her nose in disgust when she noticed Ichiru eating the green slices straight from the jar.

"How can you _eat_ those like that?" the small pureblood girl inquired in a revolted tone as Ichiru placed another pickle chip in his mouth.

Glancing over his shoulder, Ichiru narrowed his eyes at the brunette and chewed almost deliberately. "Because they're good and I'm starving," he sniffed indignantly after swallowing, occupying himself with the pickle jar again. The container had been full when the twins arrived for dinner and now was nearly half empty. One couldn't blame the boy, though. He hadn't eaten all day and with all the vomiting he had done, it was time his stomach got a refill.

"Perhaps you should slow down, Ichirun," Cross piped up brightly, moving a large pot from the stove to the sink so that he may drain the pasta. "You'll spoil your appetite for this wonderful dinner I'm preparing for you, my wonderful children!"

Ichiru blinked, a tad taken aback by this last comment. "Wait a minute! When did I become one of your 'kids'? You can't just decide something like that!"

"Just let it go, 'Ru," Zero sighed as he chopped vegetables for the evening meal (he had taken it upon himself to make certain the headmaster didn't completely screw up dinner). "I've told you before that if you lose your temper so easily with him, you'll never make it." Then, with a quick glance over his shoulder before returning to his chopping. "And you should really slow down on those pickle chips."

"Yes, please!" Yuki cried, relieved that Zero was taking her side in this. She had never seen anyone eat pickles so enthusiastically. The girl had never thought those crinkly green slices could look so unappetizing.

Ichiru, however, was feeling particularly contrary that evening. Placing yet another pickle chip into his mouth, he spun around on his stool to face the small vampire and, as loudly as possible, chewed with his mouth wide open.

"Ew!" cried Yuki, recoiling in disgust. "That's so gross! You're disgusting, Ichiru!"

The word 'disgusting' caught Zero's ear, throwing up a red flag as he recalled something from that morning. Dropping the knife he had been using to cut up the vegetables, the elder Kiryu rushed to intervene in what he could sense was a nuclear meltdown simply waiting to happen. Sure enough, Ichiru had ceased acting childishly, tears brimming in his lilac eyes. "'Ru..." Zero said quietly, placing a hand on his twin's shoulder in an attempt to keep the younger Kiryu from crying, but Ichiru ignored him. His gaze was still fixed on Yuki.

"...What did you call me?" the human asked quietly.

Yuki's burgundy eyes widened a bit, slightly taken aback by this abrupt change in demeanour. It continued to throw the girl off balance how different the Kiryu twins were, despite being almost completely identical. When it became apparent Ichiru was to be a permanent fixture at Cross Academy and on the Disciplinary Committee, it had taken Yuki while to get accustomed to how emotional the younger brother was. She was so used dealing with Zero and his unreadable expressions. The way Ichiru was so forthcoming with his feelings always managed to surprise her, especially since he had the same face as his stoic older brother. "I-I called you disgusting," she said. "Which you were being! As well as immature!" She crossed her arms defiantly.

"Ichiru, she doesn't mean what you think she means," Zero murmured in his brother's ear, squeezing his shoulder cautiously. "Don't overreac-"

"Shut up, Zero!" Ichiru snapped, jumping abruptly with his feet. "Just leave me alone!" With that, the younger Kiryu stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

After a few moments of stunned silence, Cross and Yuki both turned their eyes to Zero, who was honestly just as bewildered as they were. "I'll go talk to him," he grumbled, more to himself than anyone else. He followed his twin into the bathroom.

With Zero no longer able to be stared at questioningly, Cross moved his brown eyes to the girl he still considered his daughter, despite recent revelations. "What do you think all that was about?" he wondered, both to himself and to Yuki.

The petite pureblood shrugged, her innocent stare now directed at the closed bathroom door. "I have no idea," she admitted with a sigh. "Ichiru's been more touchy than usual lately, and Zero hardly talks to me any more..." Yuki saddened a bit at her last statement. It was true ever since the events involving Rido had transpired last winter, Zero had been more distant than usual, particularly towards her. She couldn't say she hadn't expected this, though. The silver-haired hunter still very much hated vampires, especially purebloods. No wonder he obsessed so much over his still very much human younger brother.

"Hmmm." Cross pouted childishly as he began adding the vegetables Zero had been preparing earlier. "Well, I hope they get this all sorted out before I get dinner ready. I don't want anything to spoil our family together time! Especially since we hardly ever get together any more..."

Yuki gave an exasperated sigh as her adopted father dissolved into one of his over-dramatic, sappy rants on the importance of family bonding and such. She waited with the patience that could only be born of ten years of listening to this sort of thing before mentioning, "I don't think Ichiru will be eating that much tonight. Just so you know."

With a bemused blink, Cross replied curiously, "Oh? Do you really think he spoiled his appetite with those pickle chips...?"

"Well, probably, but that's not what I'm talking about," the brunette girl murmured, not making eye contact with the headmaster as she gained a brief disgusted expression. She then turned back to the still inquisitive Cross and explained, "No, he was sick earlier today. I don't know how much of his appetite he's gotten back."

"Oh?" Yuki nodded and Cross frowned, glancing over to the bathroom door. "Well, I hope he's feeling better, then! Although I'm sure Big Brother Zero wouldn't have let him come if he were still ill!" The straw-haired man chuckled brightly at this. The way Zero now fussed over his younger brother was reminiscent, to him, of the way the boy used to look after Yuki, if not a more obvious version. The former human always did care more for others than himself.

The pureblood girl smiled slightly. "You know, I think Ichiru has more control over Zero than he would like us to think," she presented her own theory of the Kiryu twins' relationship.

Cross laughed, nodding in agreement. "That could very well be true!" he said, turning back to his dinner preparations. "That could very well be true..."

Meanwhile, as Yuki and Cross discussed the twins in the kitchen, Zero was trying to figure out how he came to be in this situation: shut in a very small room with his obviously distraught younger brother. He wasn't sure whether or not Ichiru had even noticed his presence. If he hadn't, it would present the perfect opportunity for the elder Kiryu to escape, to pretend he had never even entered the bathroom at all. However, he felt guilty for merely _entertaining_ the possibility of abandoning his twin when he was clearly so upset. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Zero took a cautious step towards Ichiru.

"Ichiru..."

"I thought I told you to leave me alone!"

_You always tell me that. It's not like you ever mean a word of it. _"I just wanted to see if you were all right," Zero told his other half instead, moving to stand in front of the toilet on which Ichiru was huddled.

Ichiru bit out an incredulous, mirthless laugh. "Do I _look_ all right to you?" he snapped, shifting a little as he buried his face in his arms.

"...No, and I'm sort of wondering why that is." Crouching down so that he had to look up at the younger Kiryu, Zero asked, "What's up, 'Ru?"

"Stop calling me by that stupid name," Ichiru growled, suddenly irritated by the affectionate nickname his brother had been using for him since childhood. "And stop treating me like a child!" Lifting his teary gaze to glare at his older brother, he added, "I'm not stupid. Lowering yourself to eye level? That's what people do when they're talking to little kids, which I'm not. So stop it!"

Sighing, Zero replied to this small tirade with, "Well, if you stop _acting_ like a child, then I'll stop _treating_ you like a child."

"I am _not_ acting like a child!"

"Ichiru, you're crying in the bathroom, and why? Because Yuki called you disgusting and immature? Both of which you were being, by the way," Zero pointed out fairly. What he wasn't expecting, however, was for Ichiru to begin to cry harder, burying his face into his arms once more. "Ichiru? What the he-"

"See? You think it, too! I knew it!" As he scrubbed at his face with his sleeves, Ichiru remarked for what seemed the hundredth time that very day how utterly pathetic he was for blubbering like this. He never cried this much, not even as a child. He just felt so out of control... and when Yuki had used the word 'disgusting'...

Zero could only stare at his, in his opinion, completely irrational younger twin in utter confusion. What on earth was Ichiru going on about? "What the hell...? _What_ do I think, Ichiru?" he inquired, somewhat warily. He had no desire to set his brother off any more than he apparently already had.

"You think I'm disgusting! Don't lie to me!" Hugging his knees tighter to his chest, Ichiru sniffed despondently and continued, "Don't think I don't see it. The way you look at me, the way you avoid touching me... You think there's something wrong with me because of the way I feel about you. You think I'm sick because I actually want to be with you. And of course it's wrong, but I can't help it! I just can't... Just like I can't stop fucking crying!" Once again, the younger attempted to steam his tears with his sleeves, but to no avail.

_Oh, Ichiru. If only I could tell you how wrong you are... _"I don't think that at all, Ichiru. I've already told you that," Zero sighed, pushing himself to his feet and shoving his hands into his pockets. "I think you're a hormone-addled teenager, especially tonight." He lifted an eyebrow as he looked down on his younger brother, who was just now managing to cease crying, even if only by a small percentage. The former human's face then fell, pain flickering in his lavender eyes. "I also think," he began quietly, "that if your feelings for me are causing you so much pain, maybe you should just get over me and move on." _Like I'm desperately trying to do with you._

"...You make it sound so easy." Finally able to stop crying beyond a few weak snivels here and there, Ichiru rose from the toilet, still wiping his eyes. For a few moments, the twins merely stood, Zero awkwardly avoiding looking at Ichiru while the younger Kiryu merely sniffed. Then, Ichiru fell forward and wrapped his arms around his other's neck, leaving the elder Kiryu to stiffen and inexplicably become very aware of the position of his hands. This last a second or two before Ichiru pulled away, glared at Zero, and punched him roughly in the arm. "Jerk."

Not even bothering to question the mood swing, Zero gestured towards the bathroom door. "Well, shall we join everyone else?"

"You go ahead. I'll be out in a minute."

Zero faltered, a bit wary of this answer. "What? You're not going to start crying again, are you?" he asked, quirking a eyebrow in slight skepticism.

"No!" Ichiru cried, positively insulted. How pitiful did Zero think he was? "I actually have to use the bathroom, so if you get out please..." He proceeded to shove his older twin out of the bathroom, slamming the door in his face.

A few minutes later, dinner was at last on the table with everyone seated around it. Zero and Yuki regarded their meals with apprehension, four years of experience warning them that anything Kaien Cross prepared was iffy at best. Ichiru, however, ate with much gusto, much to the delight of the headmaster and the dismay of the other two adolescents.

"Oh, Ichirun! I'm so glad at least one of my precious children appreciates my cooking!" Then, with a few over-dramatic sniffs, the bespectacled man added, "I put so much effort in creating a delicious meal for you growing children, and none of you are ever grateful for it! Both of you should look to Ichirun as an example!" With a slight pout, Cross glared with mock scolding at Yuki and Zero, both of whom dutifully ignored him.

Snorting in a most unbecoming manner, the elder Kiryu pointed out sourly, "Don't read to much into it, Headmaster; Ichiru's developed sort of a... _strange_ taste in food recently." He flashed his twin a smirk, earning himself a venomous glare in return.

Not one to be brought down by mere technicalities, Cross simply smiled gently and replied, "Well, I'm just glad he's eating at all. I heard you were sick earlier today, Ichirun!"

Silence fell over the dinner table. Ichiru's eyes widened as he stared at Cross, pausing completely as he brought a bite of food to his mouth. Zero tensed instinctively, readying himself for any conflict this situation might present. Yuki suddenly became a tad bit ashamed, setting her fork down and sinking slightly down in her seat. Cross, on the other hand, merely blinking and glancing at all of the teens in confusion. "Um... did I say something I shouldn't have?" he asked with a nervous laugh.

Ichiru snapped out of whatever trance he had been caught in and directed his attention towards the brunette girl beside his twin. "What did you tell him?" he demanded, his voice low.

"Nothing!" insisted Yuki defensively, raising her eyes to return the younger Kiryu's glare. "I just said you were sick earlier today! That's all!"

"What the hell made you think I wanted _anyone_ to know?"

"What does it matter? There were at least three witnesses! You even went to the infirmary, so the school doctor definitely knows! Besides, Zero told all your teachers after lunch, so this all seems like a moot point now, anyway."

"I'm surprised you even know what a 'moot point' means," Ichiru barked at the pureblood before turning on his brother. "You! Why did _you_ tell everyone?"

"What was I supposed to say?" Zero retorted, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible. Getting angry would not help this situation at all. "You were going to be out for the rest of the day. Would you have rather me told them that you were ditching class?"

At this, Ichiru stood up and slammed his palms on the table, rattling the dishes in the process. "I would have rather you told them anything except that I'm weak." With that, the young human stormed from the apartment, an act of which Zero was getting rather sick. Was Ichiru just going to throw a tantrum and then run away every time there was a conflict? And he wondered why he was treated like a child.

Sighing heavily, Zero rose from the table, apologized on behalf of his younger brother, and raced after Ichiru. He discovered his twin almost at the end of the hall, heading towards what he could only guess was their dorm room. Grabbing Ichiru before the younger boy could make his escape, the elder Kiryu spun his other half to face him while effectively blocking any and all exits. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he snarled, clutching Ichiru's shoulders a bit more tightly than was necessary. "I don't care what you say to me, but I will not _stand_ for you taking whatever hormone-fueled _breakdown_ you're going through out on others! Especially Yuki, who's done _nothing_ to you!"

Wincing at his brother's tight grip, Ichiru had to remind himself that murder was, in fact, illegal as Zero once again accused him of being hormonal. What did his twin think he was, a girl? "Why are you angry with _me_?" he shouted, not caring if anyone overheard him. "_I_ should be angry with _you_ and your stupid girlfriend! You're the ones who seem intent on spreading the word that I'm weak and pathetic!"

"Ichiru, you are _not_ weak!" Zero sighed in exasperation, rolling his eyes. He was beginning to desperately wondered when this phase or whatever it was would _end_. Ideally, it would be before he himself went insane. "You're just sick! It happens!"

"Not to anyone we know," Ichiru pointed out sullenly. "You don't get sick, Yuki doesn't get sick, Cross doesn't get sick..."

"You really need to stop comparing yourself to us," the elder Kiryu cut off his younger counterpart, a slight pang tugging at his heart. "We're... we're freaks, Ichiru. We're not _normal_. You _are_. Normal, that is. You're human, 'Ru." W_onderfully, blessedly so. _"You're just going to have to live with that."

Why did Zero always have to bring up his being human like it was some sort of wonderful state of existence? Even Shizuka-sama had appraised his humanity as though it were some sort of precious thing. He couldn't do anything useful as a human. The world was crumbling down around them, and all he could was make sure he didn't get crushed. "When will you people understand that there's nothing all that extraordinary about being human?" Ichiru asked quietly of Zero before batting his hands away and resuming his flight. "I'm going to get ready for tonight. I'll see you later."

Zero had half a mind to call after Ichiru as the younger Kiryu vanish from sight, but held himself back. There was no way he could talk to his brother now. He realized how badly Ichiru desired to be something more than human; a vampire, specifically, but Zero simply couldn't condone that. Although the young hunter was fully aware that by allowing his twin to be turned into vampire, by getting rid of the soft, fragile human that was Ichiru Kiryu, he could very well rid himself of this unnatural affection for his little brother. However, all the pain and suffering the former human had experienced at the hands of bloodsuckers held him back. There was no way he would let his human half get mixed up in that dark world no more than he already was. At least that way, his brother would be somewhat safe.

Now, if Zero could only figure out how to save Ichiru from him.

Ichiru hardly spoke to Zero or Yuki during their Guardian duties, most likely due to the fact he was utterly exhausted. Luckily, they could allow security to be a bit lax that night, considering much of the Night Class was currently absent. The only reason it even still existed was mainly to keep up appearances, much like Kaname's occasional visits to the academy. There were much more important matters outside of this little sandbox, but the head of Kuran clan wanted the school to remain as an example of working coexistence, even if only a few students in the Day Class recalled that the Night Class was comprised of vampires.

The elder Kiryu had ducked out early, explaining why he was already settled on his bed with the laptop the twins shared sitting on his lap by the time the younger of the twins returned to their dorm room.

Giving a great yawn, Ichiru rubbed the back of his head as he regarded his big brother sleepily, lowering himself onto his bed. "What are you doing, Zero?" he asked in a mumble, sounding slightly incoherent due to exhaustion.

Zero hesitated, knowing that his answer would only anger his twin. Although, Ichiru _was_ rather tired, so he might get away with it. "Well, I know you don't like doctors, so I thought I'd diagnose you myself," he responded quietly, not lifting his eyes from his computer screen.

Ichiru yawned again before falling over on his bed, not even bothering to get undressed. "How ya gonna do that?"

"Online medical database," Zero explained. "We can just type in your symptoms and it'll give us different options of what might be going on with you."

The whole thing sounded like a load of bull to Ichiru, but he was too tired to really care. All he wanted to do was sleep... "Can we do it later?" he asked, burying his face in his pillow. "I'm exhausted, and we've still got class in about three hours..."

"Just bear with me." Tapping on his keyboard, Zero began muttering to himself a list of all the symptoms he was aware of Ichiru displaying, "Let's see: fatigue, nausea, vomiting, fever... Anything else I don't know about?"

God, he truly did not want to do this. Why couldn't Zero just let him be? Seriously, the only thing in the world he wanted at the moment was to just sleep. Besides, Ichiru hated discussing things like this with his brother. Zero would only become overprotective and may even demand that they rush off to the hospital that instant. However, he also knew that his twin wouldn't get off his back until he opened up entirely. "Well," Ichiru began with a sigh, his eyes falling shut, "I have to go to the bathroom all the time, it seems. It's like my bladder's shrunk to the size of a sesame seed... And sometimes, I get this really nasty heartburn, but it's normally after I eat something spicy so it's probably nothing..."

"Adding it, anyway," Zero told his twin, typing away. He paused and glanced up at Ichiru. "Anything else you want to add?"

Shaking his head, Ichiru murmured, "Not unless you want to add weird cravings to that list. Damn, I could really go for some more of those pickles... and maybe some hamburger... like hamburger that's barely been cooked so that it's practically raw..."

With an incredulous raise of his fair eyebrows, Zero mentioned, "Okay, I drink human blood for sustenance and even _I_ find that disgusting." Then, with a quiet snicker, he added, "You know, 'Ru, if we _did_ put in 'cravings' as one of your symptoms, it almost makes it sound... like you're..." The elder Kiryu's eyes widened as a seemingly random thought struck him. No. Oh God, no. Anything but that. On a whim, he entered 'cravings' and 'mood swings' into the symptom checker and, after inhaling deeply in a futile attempt to calm his pounding heart, clicked enter.

"Almost makes me sound like I'm what, Zero?"

Zero didn't speak, biting his lip anxiously as he waited for the results to load and hoping what he feared wouldn't be one of them. Then, the results finally appeared.

It was at the top of the list.

No, no, no, no, no! This could _not_ be right! There was no possible way! Well, that wasn't entirely true. It was completely possible, but not with Ichiru! He just wasn't _built_ that way. No, it had to be one of the other results...

"Almost makes me sound like I'm _what_, Zero? What did that stupid website say?"

Shaking his head, the vampire twin replied, "Nothing, 'Ru. It's nothing. I'm looking at some other options."

Ichiru groaned in a combination of exhaustion and exasperation. He knew he would never get any rest until Zero figured out exactly what was wrong with him. "God damn it, Zero!" he cried irritably. "Just tell me what the fucking website said!"

Once again, Zero hesitated. He wasn't sure how his brother would react to the answer. It wasn't something they had ever discussed before, not that they had ever thought they had reason to do so. It was just so... unexpected. "Ichiru," he began slowly, "do you think there's any way... I mean, do you think that there's any possibility... Ichiru, do you think it might be possible that you're... pregnant?"

This got Ichiru's attention. Snapping upright, he glared at his other half incredulously for a few seconds before breaking into a wide grin, trying with all his might not to laugh. "Are you _insane_?" he asked, suspecting his ribs might crack from the effort exerted not to laugh. "I can't _get_ pregnant, Zero! I just don't have what it takes! God, I don't believe you're even entertaining the idea!"

Zero narrowed his eyes at his obviously amused younger brother, a bit peeved that he wasn't taking the possibility he could be _with_ _child_ seriously at all. "You know it's not as impossible as you're making it out to be," he reminded Ichiru solemnly.

"It is for me!" Ichiru cried, still elated to the point of ridiculousness. Leaning back on his hands, the younger Kiryu shook his head as he stared at his twin, still grinning. "Look, Zero: I don't have enough... hunter or vampire or whatever in me to actually _conceive_ _a_ _child_. If I did, we probably wouldn't even be having this conversation right now! Like you said, big brother: I'm _normal_."

"You have to admit you have a lot of the symptoms," Zero went on, almost ignoring his brother had spoken. "Weird cravings, morning sickness-"

"I do not have morning sickness!"

"Mood swings." Zero lifted a single eyebrow as Ichiru rolled his eyes before kicking his shoes off and swinging his legs onto his bed, collapsing back onto his pillows. Then, the former human sighed. "I know you're tired and you think this whole thing is ridiculous, but would you at least take a pregnancy test? Just to put my mind at ease?"

Ichiru allowed his head to roll to the side, placing Zero in his line of sight. He merely stared at his older brother, wondering if Zero was indeed serious about this pregnancy test thing. The way he was pushing the damned thing nearly made it sound as though he _wanted_ there to be a baby. That, or the mere idea of having fathered a child with his little brother frightened him so very much that he wanted to make absolute certain that no such child existed. As for Ichiru, he was on the fence. He honestly did not believe he was pregnant. He simply didn't have the physical capabilities to get pregnant. However... "If I take the damn test, will you move on?"

Nodding, Zero replied with relief obvious in his voice, "Yes, I will."

A short pause. "Fine, I'll take the stupid test."

"Thank you," sighed Zero, once again beginning to type. "I have an assignment tomorrow, so I'll be in town. I can pick one up then."

"Whatever." Ichiru rolled over so that his back was to Zero, hoping that he would finally be able to catch some shut-eye. He just about couldn't believe that his brother was actually _volunteering_ to purchase a pregnancy test for him. Oh, he could just imagine the _looks_ Zero would be getting; all those people just staring at him, wondering about the poor girl he knocked up. Ichiru managed a soft chuckle at this before the haze of fatigue settled firmly in his mind. It wasn't long before the comforting waves of sleep finally claimed, never mind he would have to be up again in two and a half hours if he planned on making it to first period.

Oh, well. Maybe he would just skip first period.


End file.
